The Wolf and His Girl
by twifantasyfan
Summary: Jared would never have expected visiting a friend would change his life forever. But that was exactly what happened when he met the eyes of Bella Swan. But can he overcome Jacob's fury and Bella's fears?
1. My reason to exist

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters so memorably brought to life by Stephanie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own enjoyment.

***

Jared POV

"Where's Jake?" I asked Embry.

"I called his place just before I left to meet up. Billy said he was still sleeping. Mentioned something about a really late night."

"Huh." I grunted. I had to wonder about that. Jake hadn't been on patrol last night, so why had he been up so late that he was still sleeping this late in the morning?

"Let's go," Sam told us. "We'll wake him up and take a run through the woods. See if that leech has come back."

We'd chased a red-headed female bloodsucker away from Forks just a couple days earlier--chased her all the way to Canada. We weren't sure why she was coming around; Sam thought that the leech with dreadlocks that we'd run down and killed a couple weeks ago had been her mate and that she was trying to find out what had happened to him. Thoughts of that day led me to think about the reason we'd killed that vampire. When we'd found him in that forest clearing, he'd been standing over Bella Swan, clearly about to kill her.

Remembering her, and the fact that we were walking toward Jake's house, had me stop in my tracks for a second. A crazy thought flashed through my mind, only to be instantly dismissed. Jake _couldn't_ have been with Bella last night. Sam had told him he needed to stay away from her; and Jake couldn't defy the Alpha's gag order anyway.

Getting myself back into gear, I jogged a little to make up ground, catching up just as we broke into the open ground near the Blacks' house. Embry let out a wolf-like call to let Jake know we were coming. A few moments later, the screen door impacted the side of the house with a crack, but it wasn't Jake coming toward us. Storming across the yard, a look of fury on her face, was Bella Swan.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded of Sam, as soon as she got close to us.

"What did we do? What did you do?" Paul snapped, before Sam could answer her.

"He didn't want this!"

"What did he tell you?!" Paul was getting really worked up. This had the potential of heading south real fast. Paul was still losing it the battle with his temper on a regular basis, and this looked like another repeat in the making.

"He told me nothing. He's afraid of you." Where had she gotten an idea like that? Jake, afraid of his brothers? We couldn't help it, and started laughing. Apparently, that wasn't the wisest thing we could've done; she hauled off and slapped Paul across the face. I winced. Paul never had good control of his temper at the best of times, and getting slapped was going to set him off as sure as the sun rose in the east every day. Sure enough, he instantly started shaking uncontrollably.

"Paul, calm down," Sam ordered. Then, "Get back, Bella." She started to obey, clearly a bit alarmed by Paul's convulsions. As she did, her eyes tracked over the rest of us. As soon as her eyes locked on mine, it was as if the earth ceased spinning and time stopped. All I could focus on was her: brown eyes the color of cocoa, brown hair the exact shade of mahogany, pale skin, pink lips. In that eternal instant, she became the sum and total of my existence. I'd never experienced this before, but from sharing the pack mind with Sam, I knew what had to have happened: I'd imprinted on Bella.

My awareness of this was immediately followed by a loud snarl from Paul. He'd lost the battle for control and had phased into his wolf form. He was crouching low to the ground, attention focused on Bella's retreating form. Oh, no, he wasn't... I vaguely heard Jake shout Bella's name as I moved forward and also phased. Paul wasn't getting anywhere _near_ my imprint.

Bella turned and began to run, but stumbled and fell only a few steps later. Jake kept running toward us, leaping over Bella, and phasing in mid-air. He landed between her and us.

_What the hell is going on?_ Jake was thinking.

_She slapped him and he phased_, I answered. _I'll take care of him; you keep her out of the way_.

_Like hell you will!_ Paul's thoughts roared. I wasn't sure if he was meant me or Jake. As he started to lunge forward, I leaped and sank my teeth into his shoulder, pulling him away from Bella. I focused all of my attention on getting him as far away from her as I could. I registered a wave of pain as Paul's claws raked along my side, opening several gashes in my skin. I pushed into him and we rolled across the ground, snarling, biting, jumping, and kicking. We crashed clean through the Blacks' rowboat, which had been resting on a pair of sawhorses, and tumbled into the woods that ringed the edge of the clearing. At that moment, I honestly didn't see Paul as my brother, only as a threat to my imprint.

_Imprint?_ Two thought-voices echoed me, stunned. Paul froze underneath me, and I could feel Sam come up beside us.

_Jared, are you sure?_ Sam asked me.

_Yes._ I answered simply, resisting the brief urge to roll my eyes. I'd never been more sure of anything in my life. I let my thoughts flow back to my first clear view of Bella a few minutes earlier.

_Well._ Sam said finally. _Congratulations._ I could also sense a bit of relief from him, just like I had the first time I'd phased, that he wasn't alone in something—I now had an imprint too.

_Sorry, bro_. Paul apologized. _Mind letting me up?_

_Just watch it around Bella, ok?_ I asked, as I backed off him.

_Sure. Sorry about the claws, Jared. _I shrugged it off. With our phasing abilities, the cuts he'd given me would only last a few minutes, and wouldn't scar either. To keep Bella safe, I'd gladly take those cuts and more.

_Hey, how'd she take it, Sam?_ queried Paul, switching topics easily as he surged to his feet and gave a brisk shake to dislodge the twigs and leaves that had become embedded in his fur.

_Not sure. She was just sitting there when I came after you two. No screaming or anything, though_, he told us.

_Jake did say she was good with weird, didn't he? Might end up ok, after all_. Paul snorted. Then, _Oh, man!_ he howled. _Jake is gonna freak_.

Both Sam and I sat back on our haunches and winced. Paul might be an ass a lot of the time, but he wasn't totally clueless, and we both knew he was right about this. Jake had been pissed off enough as it was when Sam had told him to stay away from Bella; who knew how bad it might get when he found out I'd imprinted on her.

(flashback)

"What do you mean, I can't see her?" Jacob snarled. He'd managed to phase back to human, and was in the middle of the "Life as a Wolf" briefing from Sam and the rest of the pack. His relief at finally knowing what was going on, and being reunited with Embry, had been cut short by Sam's edict.

"It's not safe, Jacob. You're a new wolf. For a while, the slightest thing might set you off, and if you phased around Bella, she could get hurt." The rest of his sentence "...like Emily did…" went unsaid though not un-thought.

"I won't hurt her," he insisted, "not by being with her. It's my _not _being there that will hurt her, don't you understand? I promised her that I would never hurt her like _he_ did, and you'll make me break my promise if I do this." Jacob was almost begging. Sam's expression was pained.

"She can handle this, I know she can. Think about who she was hanging with for half the year. Bella can handle weird." he promised.

I _am_ sorry, Jacob," Sam said, finally. "But Bella's safety is more important. Emotional wounds can heal, physical one's don't."

"Yeah, right," Jacob scoffed. "You haven't seen her every day the way I have. It's been more than 6 months, and _those_ emotional wounds are barely scabbed over. This will rip them all wide open again."

"You _will_ stay away from Bella Swan, Jacob." Sam's voice throbbed with the Alpha's command. He would have no choice now but to obey the order.

(end flashback)

_Jacob will have to accept this too, Paul_. Sam was thinking. _It may take time, but he'll eventually see that Jared is good for Bella. And it isn't like he can't still be friends with her--she just won't need him the way she did before._

I shot up, instantly on edge. _Where are they? Crap, does he know?_ How could I have forgotten that Jacob had phased just after me?

_Calm down. I don't think he knows...yet_. Sam chuckled briefly. _I told him to phase back and for him and Embry to take Bella over to Emily's. You _will_ have to tell him, and her, soon, though Jared._

_I know_, I responded. And hopefully I'd survive both encounters.

_Let's go home_, Sam said. Paul and I fell in at his flanks, and we started trotting in the direction of his and Emily's cabin.

_Hey, Sam?_ I asked.

_What?_

_Did it seem like Bella was taking it a little too calmly?_ I hadn't realized until I said so, but something about Bella's reaction to everything had caught my attention somehow.

_What's that supposed to mean?_ Paul butted in. I kept my attention focused on Sam. He was waiting patiently for me to elaborate on my question.

_It just struck me, when she was storming out of the house, that she somehow knew and was mad about it. Remember, Jake was still asleep when we headed over. What if his late night was because he was over at Bella's? Could he have found some way around the gag?_

_I don't see how he could have told her_, Sam decided. _Maybe he was just right about her being good with weird._

_Maybe,_ I allowed. _But what about at the end? I mean, come on, all of us had more of a reaction to becoming wolves than she did, and _we're_ the ones who grew up with the stories._

Sam rolled his head slightly in a wolfish shrug. _I don't know, Jared. Perhaps that's something she'll be willing to share later on._

_Just think, _Paul added, _You'll be able to skip all the "werewolves really do exist" speeches._

_Paul…_ I warned softly. He was _so_ annoying at times.

As the trees began to thin out, we moved away from each other. Just because we were now used to the lack of privacy and modesty that came with being wolves, didn't mean we didn't prefer privacy when we could get it. There came the indescribable shimmering twisting of phasing back. I froze as I realized that I had a problem, one which Paul and Jacob were also sharing today: shredded clothes. "Crap," I muttered. A moment later, a pair of drawstring shorts sailed through the air to land on my head. "Thanks, Sam," I called, as I dragged them on. Breaking out of the trees, Sam, Paul and I headed for the cabin's open door, through which wafted the amazing smell of Emily's giant muffins. As we rounded the corner of the cabin, I saw Bella's rusty red-orange truck parked in front.I felt nervous anticipation ripple through me. I was about to truly meet my imprint for the first time.

***

AN: I used to be quite the relationship purist, but have recently discovered the enjoyment of exploring alternative pairings like this one. I've been writing fanfiction just for myself for a while now, but this is the first I've put out for others to see. I would welcome constructive commentary.


	2. What just happened here?

AN: Thanks to all of the reviewers for the first chapter. I will strive to continue to produce chapters that you will enjoy just as much.

Here is chapter two for you to enjoy. The next update probably won't be so quick. I had this one pretty much ready to go already.

BPOV

"Jake, phase back. You and Embry take Bella to Emily's. I'll sort Paul and Jared out." Sam spoke to the wolf that had been Jacob. As he did, he was kicking off his shoes and heading for the break in the trees that the other two wolves had tumbled through.

As Sam disappeared into the woods, the remaining boy turned toward me. It was almost hard to recognize him as the same Embry who'd hung out with me and Jake in the Blacks' garage until a few weeks ago. Like all the others, he was very tall, extremely muscular, and wearing only a pair of ragged cut-off shorts.

"Guess the wolf's out of the bag now, huh?" he told me. Then to Jake, "Hey bro, you might want to head over to the clothesline and see if there's anything on it that will fit you. Your old shorts are shredded." he snorted.

I stared at him blankly. He noticed, and grinned.

"When we phase, it's not like our clothes become our fur or anything. We get so big so fast that anything we're wearing just gets shredded." He gestured behind me, and I turned to see strips of fabric littering the ground--the remnants of Jake's shirt and shorts.

Wolf-Jake loped off around the side of the house. A few minutes later, he re-emerged, wearing a battered pair of shorts. He was biting his lip as he came up to me.

"Jake, you're a..." I managed.

"Yeah," he managed to look a bit embarrassed.

"You were right," I told him. "I did remember once I really thought about it."

"I knew you could," he grinned.

"Remember what?" Embry asked.

"What he told me," I answered.

"He _told_ you about...this?" Embry's jaw dropped, and he gestured vaguely around us. "How'd you do it, man? Break the gag?"

"I didn't." Jake blurted.

I grinned. "Actually, Jake, you did tell me. It just wasn't last night."

Embry's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline, and he looked a demand at me for an explanation.

"Right after I moved here, I came down to the beach with some kids from school. Jake and I went for a walk, and he told me some of the tribal legends. Trying to scare me, I think." I smirked at him, and he rolled his eyes back at me. I wasn't about to tell Embry about the flirting I had done to try and encourage him.

"I didn't believe the stories back then," Jake explained. Embry nodded. "Anyway, last night I realized that everything would be okay if I jogged her memory a little. Reminded her that she already knew what I couldn't tell her now." 

Embry cocked his head in thought. "Yeah, I guess that would do it. Very creative, bro." He extended his arm toward Jake, and they bumped fists. _Guys_, I thought.

"So, are you okay with this?" Jake asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah. You're still you, Jake." I had a sudden thought, "So is this why you've been avoiding me lately?"

"Yep. Sam told me to stay away."

I narrowed my eyes. What gave him the right to make Jacob abandon me like that?

"Alpha command," Embry interrupted, apparently noticing my expression. "What he says goes, even if we don't like it. And Jake _really_ didn't like it." he assured me.

Nodding my head, I tried to put my irritation aside. I had Jake back now, it seemed, so I would try to move past what had happened.

"C'mon, let's head to Emily's, like Sam said." Jacob turned me in the direction of my truck.

"Who's Emily?" I asked them.

"Sam's fiancee," Embry told me.

"She's why Sam wanted me to stay away, like Embry said before." Jake elaborated.

I stared at him blankly.

"Sam was the first to start phasing, and he met Emily a little while later. Like Paul demonstrated, our tempers can blow up pretty easily. He was standing near her one day, lost control for a second, and phased. She was too close, and ended up getting cut up. The right side of her face is really badly scarred. Sam'll never forgive himself for hurting her that way. So now he's a little obsessive about making sure that others don't go through what he and Emily have."

I knew all about being hurt by the one you loved. It still didn't exactly make me feel better about Sam ordering Jacob away from me, but at least it was a reason why.

At my truck, I found myself squished between Jake, who was driving, and Embry. Ordinarily I would have objected, but I didn't today. For one thing, I doubted it would do any good, and second, I didn't know where we were going.

***  
Sam and Emily lived in a little cabin deep in the woods. As we exited my truck, Embry gave a short howl-like cry.

I glanced over at Jake. "Wolf-thing," he told me with a grin.

A young woman, who had to be Emily, looked up from the stove as we came in the door.

"Who's this?" she asked, a bit suspiciously.

"Bella Swan, who else?" Embry answered.

"Trust you to figure a way around Sam's gag," she scolded Jake.

"Sure, sure," he rolled his eyes. "But for your information, I _didn't_. She already knew."

Emily looked directly at me, and I could see why the guys had told me about her before I saw her. Sam's claws had left wide furrowed scars from her temple across her cheek to her chin.

"So you're the vampire girl," she said.

I winced internally, but managed to resist the instinct to wrap my arms around my torso. _Not anymore_, I thought. "I guess I used to be. Are you the wolf girl?" I wasn't going to be a push-over here. I could guess that the wolves probably weren't too happy about my previous attachment to their vampire adversaries, but I wasn't about to let them make me feel bad about it.

She actually smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am. Or I'm engaged to one, at least." She gestured at a bowl on the counter. "Grab a muffin if you want one--before these gluttons inhale them all."

Seeing me settled in a chair at the table, Emily turned her attention back to Jake and Embry. "Where are Sam and your brothers?"

Both boys rolled their eyes.

"Paul lost it when Bella showed up, Jared phased and went after him, and Sam stayed to deal with them both." Embry laughed.

Emily's brows rose. "Hmm. I believe that of Paul, but how did Jared beat you to it, Jacob?"

Jacob's mouth twisted a little. "He was closer. I had to run all the way across the yard from the house. Good thing he was so quick, though." But I had the feeling that Jacob was now asking himself that very question, and he seemed a little irked that it hadn't occurred to him before now.

***

The three of us sat around the table talking and laughing (and in the boys' case, eating) while Emily moved about the kitchen cooking more food. Apparently, the boys' dramatically increased physical size had created an equivalent increase in their appetites, which explained Emily's earlier comment about the muffins. I was so grateful to have my best friend, my sun, back. And I was grateful that Emily and Embry didn't seem to hold things against me, even though both had every reason to.

A call from outside brought all of our gazes to the door just as Sam and the other two walked in. Sam headed straight for Emily, putting his hands on her shoulders to draw her close to him. He bent over to place kisses along her scars, then her mouth. Then he turned to look at me. "Bella," he said with a nod. "Jake and Embry you know, of course. This is Paul", gesturing to the boy I'd slapped earlier, "and this is Jared." I turned my head to look at the one who'd pulled Paul away from me. I was grateful, of course, but still confused about why he'd done it, since he'd been just as angry at me as the others only a few minutes earlier. He was tall, like all the others, and muscular without looking like he was on steroids. His black hair was cut short, and his dark eyes were looking back at me with open curiosity. No, it wasn't curiosity, but something more, almost like fascination, almost like...I shied away from remembering where I'd seen a look of similar intensity before.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jake go rigid, then start vibrating.

"You--you didn't!" he snarled. Jared, to whom he'd evidently addressed the denial, rolled his shoulders slightly, but didn't answer or take his gaze off of me.

"Jacob, Jared, go outside and work this out." Sam ordered, from his position between Emily and the guys. Jacob stalked out without a word or a glance at me or anyone else. Jared started to follow, but paused to give me a reassuring nod.

"It'll be okay. Don't worry."

When they were gone, I looked around at the other members of the pack. "What was that all about?" Sam's eyes were blank, Paul's were full of mischief and humor, and Emily's and Embry's were a mix of confusion turning to enlightenment. Finally Sam said, "Jared will explain after he and Jacob have their talk."

_What in the world was going on here?_ I wondered. 


	3. Help

AN: Sorry for the longer wait for this chapter. Jared, Jacob, and Bella were a little stubborn. I hope the slightly longer length will make up for the fact that the next chapter will be a while in coming. I have weekend plans and a grad assignment due, plus no idea what Bella will throw at me next chapter. I'll post again as soon as I can.

Forgot this on chapter 2: Once again, I do not own Twilight or any of its characters, although I wish I did. I write, not for profit, but for personal enjoyment (and, I hope, the enjoyment of others).

To my anonymous reviewer: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I agree that this pairing is under-populated, and I'm trying to do my part. Overall, I also prefer stories that are at least a little unique, rather than just like a dozen others (for one thing, it's hard to remember what specific details I read in which story). I hope you like how I handled the thorny issue in this chapter. The other will have to wait a bit. I would like to say more, but that might spoil it.

Jared POV

After doing what I could to reassure Bella that things would be okay, I followed Jake outside and away from the house. We walked in silence through the woods, until we were both satisfied that we were far enough from the house that even wolf-ears wouldn't catch our conversation. Then, by unspoken agreement, we both stopped and faced each other.

"You _didn't_," he repeated his words from before. His hands were fisted at his sides, and he was still shaking a little. I really hoped he wasn't about to lose it and phase. One fight today was more than enough for me, and I had a feeling that it wouldn't help my case at all with Bella if Jake and I got in a fight.

"You want a lie, or the truth?" I asked rhetorically. I kept my posture and tone as neutral as possible. He wasn't all that far removed from the "phase-at-the-drop-of-a-hat" stage, and I didn't want to set him off if I could avoid it.

"Why _her_?" Jacob groaned.

"You know it's not a matter of choice, Jacob. It just happens. And at least I'm not breaking another girl's heart by imprinting on Bella." We both winced a little, remembering the aftermath of Sam's imprint on Emily. Sam's ex-girlfriend, Leah Clearwater, had yet to forgive either of them for that, from my understanding.

It wasn't that I didn't empathize with how he had to be feeling. I knew, at least in the abstract, of how hard he'd been working to bring her back from the near-catatonic state that she'd been in after her leech-boyfriend and his family left town. It was probably only natural that he'd begun to harbor hopes that _he_ could be the one for her. But destiny had chosen otherwise for all of us.

Jacob's shoulders sagged a little, and he sighed heavily. "Guess there's no fighting it, huh?"

"Not that I know of. But why would I want to?" I asked him.

"You might _have_ to." he answered. "I honestly don't know how she'll take this. She still hasn't gotten over...Has only just started to...live again, I don't know what this will do to things."

"I know that you've really been there for her, Jake, and I truly appreciate it. You have to believe that I would do anything to not hurt her. I get that it may take a while for you to get used to this, but I'd really appreciate anything you can suggest."

I knew that I had just asked a huge thing of Jacob. Everyone in the pack knew how he felt about Bella Swan, and his hope that he might imprint on her and rescue her from her vampire-induced depression. But I hoped that he would care enough about her that he would want to help me out. His desire to help and protect her might not be mystically-driven, as mine was, but I knew that it was still very important to him.

"_Don't_ ask about him...them. I can always tell when she's thinking about it--she sort of wraps her arms around her waist, like she trying not to fall apart. It about kills me, what they did to her." His eyes were full of memory.

"Does she do that a lot?" I asked.

"Not quite as much now, but sometimes it seems like the littlest thing can still set it off. Like if I had the radio on when she got to the garage—she turned it off and said she doesn't like music anymore.

"Give me _some _credit here, okay? I get that declaring my undying devotion right now wouldn't be helpful. But I can at least start by being a friend, right?"

"Yeah. I've gotten the feeling that she doesn't do much with any of her old friends from school—at least that's what dad seems to have gotten from Charlie. I almost think that part of what made it hurt so bad was not having anyone she could talk to about it, having to keep so much a secret."

"Well, she can talk to us now, can't she?" I reminded him.

Jacob stared at me, wide-eyed. "You're not going to make me stay away?" The look in his eyes made me roll mine. Sometimes the year and a half between us was a creek, and sometimes it was a small ocean. Had he really thought that _I_ would order him away from her, the way Sam had?

"Why would I hurt her that way?" I asked. "I know you mean a lot to her, Jacob, and I know you promised her to be there for her. I'm not asking you to stop being her friend or anything, just to realize and accept what _I _need to be able to do for her."

He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "Okay, Jared. I'm not going to try and fight anything, even though a part of me would love to be able to. Just please remember to be careful. She's just so fragile right now. I really think that right now she believes she's broken forever."

"Thank you, Jacob," I said, formally. "I will remember your advice. And on that note," I added, with a wry grin, "any suggestions on how to start broaching this whole subject with her?"

"Sure, sure," he mocked. Then, more seriously, "Well for starters, don't jump right it with any 'I've imprinted on you and you're my destined soul-mate' bit. That'll send her running for sure."

"What about doing something for her, so that she can start to get to know me?"

Jacob started grinning, a grin that promised some kind of mayhem. "Well…What if I engineered thing so that you gave her a ride home?"

"What are you thinking of doing? Sabotaging her truck?"

"A truck that used to belong to my dad, and that I know better than almost anyone," he confirmed. "All it will take is a quick dip under the hood to loosen something, and nothing'll happen when she tries to leave. If you're 'already heading into town anyway', you can give her a lift home."

A sly grin, just like his, crept across my face. "Nice one, bro," I commended.

"I do try. Come on."

***

We were almost back to Sam and Emily's when I realized there was a small, yet significant hole in Jake's plan.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you forgot something in that master plan of yours."

"You _dare_ question my brilliance?" he asked with mock horror.

"I question how you think Bella will let me drive her home if you're around," I shot back.

"Oh. Yeah," Jake looked a little sheepish at his oversight. "Well, how about if I come up with some excuse to leave first?

"Like what, exactly?" I wasn't sure that alone would do it. What would stop Bella from deciding to leave at the same time?

"The Clearwater's live close by. I'll dash over and have Harry call and have him call Sam's. Harry pretends to be Billy and says he needs me at home. I'm sure Emily can encourage Bella to stay a while longer."

"So what are you waiting for, kid?"

***

Jake POV

I ducked behind a tree, yanked off my shorts and tied them around my ankle, then phased and tore off for the Clearwater's house. I loved the freedom and burst of speed that being a wolf gave me. But I was coming to realize that it, like everything else, could be a double-edged sword. I was now a kick-ass protector, part of an elite group, incredibly buff, and able to fully share the mystical world with Bella. But it had also forced me away from her for the last few weeks, and had now taken her away from me forever.

I had been honest with Jared—there was a part of me that wanted nothing more to challenge him for her. But I knew that it was a battle I would have no chance of winning, any more than I probably could have won against the bloodsucker's memory, if I was honest about that. If he could get past that, Jared would actually be very good for Bella. I knew, from sharing Sam's thoughts, just how powerful an imprint could be. Bella would want for nothing that was within Jared's ability to provide. Now, getting past Bella's ex wouldn't be easy, but I knew that Jared was nothing if not determined.

It only took a couple minutes for me to come in sight of the Clearwater's' house. I phased, dressed, and leaped onto the porch.

"Hey, Harry," I called, as I pushed the door open.

"He's not here, Jacob," said Sue, Harry's wife.

"What did you need Harry for, Jake?" My jaw almost dropped at the sight of my dad, wheelchair pushed up to Sue's kitchen table.

"Dad, great, just who I needed," I gasped.

His brows lifted. "For what, exactly?"

The explanation gushed out of me, and then I dashed out of the house and back to the woods. I had to get back and rig the truck, so Jared and I could make our reappearance.

***

BPOV

For a few moments after Jake and Jared left, no one said anything. I looked around, wondering if anyone else was worried about the two of them. The way Jake had been shaking, I wasn't so sure that they should be going off alone. But no one else seemed to feel it was worth any concern. Sam was still wrapped around Emily, and Embry was still stuffing his face with muffins. Paul dropped into an empty seat at the table, and glanced over at me with a gleam in his eye and a roguish grin on his face.

"Sorry," he said.

"Me too," I apologized.

"Nah, don't worry about it," he brushed my apology aside. "We shouldn't have started laughing...not that I think we could have _not_ laughed.

I debated for a moment, then decided to just drop it. It probably wasn't worth trying to explain how worried I'd been about Jake, and how seeing the guys he'd been so wary of hadn't helped any.

Finally done cooking, Emily sat down next to me. "I'm glad to have another girl around, finally. Not that the guys aren't great," she added, when they started to protest, "but having someone that _I_ can relate to is nice."

"Thanks. I'm just glad that I finally know what's been going on. I was about to lose it, with Jake avoiding me and Billy always blowing me off."

"I'm sure it was frustrating, but they were just trying to protect everyone. The idea of giant wolves roaming the forest would probably freak most people out."

"I guess I'm not 'most people' then."

"You can say that again," Paul shot back, and the rest nodded agreement.

"Jake was right about you," Sam agreed, "I'm sorry I didn't trust his assessment. I just thought it was better to be safe than to be sorry afterwards."

I nodded my acceptance of his apology.

The others fell into teasing conversation, to which I occasionally contributed while keeping one eye on the open doorway.

I was almost to the point of insisting that someone go and make sure they were ok, when I heard Jacob's and Jared's feet hitting the wooden porch. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that they both appeared to be in one piece.

"What was that all about, Jake?" I demanded.

He looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that, Bells. Guess my ego was a little bruised that someone else got to be your hero today."

He really thought that I'd dump him just like that? "Jake…," I scolded, "you'll always be my hero. Doesn't mean you can't have help sometimes." My chest tensed ever so slightly as I thought about how much help _I_ seemed to need.

"Sure, sure," he said, mussing my hair as he headed for the food. "Thanks for actually leaving me some, guys."

"Hey," Paul defended himself and Sam, "you sure made a dent in it yourself, before we even got here!"

Jared nodded at me, as he too made for the remaining food. The conversation resumed, even louder than before. It was soon interrupted by the ringing of the phone on the wall. Sam hooked a long arm over to snag it.

"Uley," he said. "Oh, hello Billy. What can I do for you? Alright, of course. I'll tell him."

After returning the phone to its cradle, he told Jacob, "Your dad wants you home. Needs you to take care of something for him."

"Sure, sure," Jacob returned his attention to the plate of food in front of him.

"I believe he meant now, Jacob, not at your leisure." Sam's tone was disapproving.

Jake rolled his eyes, but came to his feet. "Sorry, guys, duty calls. See you later, Bella."

"Do you need me to give you a ride?" I asked, moving to push my chair back from the table.

"Bella, I can _walk_ home faster than that truck could drive me. Stay and enjoy yourself. I'll see you soon." With a last look at his fellow pack members, he headed out the door.

I hung around for a while longer, answering Emily's questions about Phoenix, and whether I wished I was back there rather than in Forks. Finally, I decided that I really needed to be heading home. Charlie was bound to be coming home from his fishing trip with Harry Clearwater soon, and I'd probably have a cooler full of fish to deal with.

"Sam, Emily, I've had a good time today, thank you. I've got to be heading home now. Charlie will want his dinner soon, too."

"You're welcome anytime, Bella." Sam told me. Emily agreed, "I hope we can get together sometime, just us girls."

"I'd like that, Emily."

After saying goodbye to the other boys, I left and climbed into my truck. I turned the key in the ignition, and…nothing. There was no familiar rumble of the Chevy engine. I turned the key back, and tried again. Still nothing. Resting my head against the rear window in frustration, I about jumped out of my skin when there was a knock on my side window.

"Problem, Bella?" It was Jared.

"Yeah, my truck won't start. Jake left a little too soon, I think."

"Well, he could probably take a look at it if you leave it here."

"I know, but that doesn't help me right now." I ran my hands through my hair.

"I'm heading into town right now myself. I'd be happy to give you a lift."

"Jared, you don't have to do that," I protested.

"It's not a problem, Bella," he assured me. "Like I said, I'm heading in anyway. It's not out of my way to drop you off."

I told myself I was being silly to be trying to avoid his offer. "Sure, Jared, thanks." I detoured back into the house to leave my keys for Jacob, while Jared went home to get his car. As I climbed in, I had to wonder what I might be getting into besides a car.


	4. Q & A

Thanks for waiting patiently for this chapter. And thank you to everyone who has put me/my story on alert. It's always a thrill to see that someone else is enjoying what I write. Dispensing with the usual disclaimer about a lack of ownership, on to the chapter.

Jared POV

It took a lot of effort to keep my face from expressing my jubilation. I had to hand it to Jake—his little plan had worked brilliantly. I pulled my car in next to Bella's truck. She had been waiting on the porch with Emily and Sam, and carefully came down the steps when she saw me get out and come around to open the passenger door, Sam walking with her. As she started to slide into the seat, he said, "Bella, I know you've been hit with a lot today. When you've had a chance to think things over, we'll be happy to answer any questions you have."

Her eyes widened, and I bit the inside of my mouth hard to keep from laughing. Sam might find himself regretting the open-endedness of that offer. Something told me Bella would be taking full advantage of it.

Mindful of what Jake had said about Bella's recent aversion to music, I casually gestured toward the dash controls. "Would you like me to turn the radio on?"

She shrank ever-so-slightly. "Whatever you want." Yep, he was right, she really was incredibly selfless.

"I don't have to have it on; I just wanted to check with you. Mom raised me to be considerate of guests."

Her brow raised, "Guest? I'm just in your car."

"Car, house, whatever."

She appeared to want to say something, but also unsure about it. I raised my brow. "Want to get a head start on your questions?"

"Well, you mentioned your mom. Does she know about…?"

"No, most of our parents don't, actually. Well, they know the stories, same as we did, but they don't believe them, again, any more than we used to. Jake's dad knows all of what's going on, but that's because Billy's one of the tribe's elders."

"Who are the others, or can you tell me?"

"Harry Clearwater, Quil Ateara Sr., and Sam."

"Sam?" Bella gaped. "But he's only…"

"Twenty, yeah. But the pack Alpha, when there is one, always counts as one of the elders, regardless of his chronological age."

"I guess that would make sense," she allowed. "The elders protect the tribe's culture and traditions, and the alpha protects them physically."

Smart, too.

"Exactly." I grinned. She smiled back, a little hesitantly, but still a smile.

"Why did Jacob refer to you guys as a cult, before?" she asked next.

"I guess it could look like that to outsiders, or even insiders who don't know," I admitted. "I guess I never really thought of it from that perspective before. I was the second to start phasing, after Sam, and so I never was on the outside looking in. It's a little hard to think of it that way."

"When I was at Sam and Emily's, I kept noticing how everyone seems to react instinctively to everyone else, whether it's what they say, or if it's a thrown muffin." Man, was she perceptive!

"Yeah, well when you spend as much time together as we do, that kind of thing just develops unconsciously." I said. I wasn't sure how she'd take the complete reason behind that behavior. Somehow, she seemed to know that I had left something out, because she gave me a "look". "Okay, there is actually a little more to it than that. See, when we're wolves, we're a pack in every sense, and we have a pack mind to go along with it."

"A pack mind?"

"Yeah, one mind. We can hear each other's thoughts and see what the others see through their thoughts. Real great for coordinating and stuff."

"How much do you get from each other?" Bella asked, half-embarrassed, half-curious.

"Everything." I admitted.

She winced. "That must be awful."

"Sometimes. It's especially bad at the beginning. You just can't help thinking things, and then to have everyone else instantly know it too can be a bit rough. We generally get to some kind of balance after a while. If someone starts thinking about something that they know will annoy or gross the others out, we'll generally leave them alone, and they can think about what they really want to. Or we can be in human form, and our thoughts are private, but there's always the chance that something will leak out the next time we phase."

Her brow creased as she thought of what to ask next. "You said your parents don't know the truth. So what _do_ they think is going on, then?"

"Emily knows, because she and Sam are engaged. Paul's parents pretty much ignore him, so they probably don't notice that he's gone a lot. Mine think I'm out being a super-scout, and Embry's mom is about convinced he's a juvenile delinquent in the making."

Our question-and-answer session was cut short by my turn into the Swans' driveway. Bella's face wore an expression of mixed relief and reluctance.

"Sam meant it, Bella," I told her. "If you have more questions, we'll answer them."

"Could I come down tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure. You want me to pick you up?"

"I'd hate to put you out like that," she hedged.

"It's not a problem," I assured her. "It would be my pleasure."

"About noon, then?" she offered.

"Sure. See you then." I waited until she'd let herself into the house, and then pulled out of the driveway. I waited until I was at the end of the block before I pumped my fist and whooped.

***

Bella POV

I hung up my jacket in the hall closet out of habit. I felt like the whole world was spinning out of orbit. A fierce shake of my head wasn't enough to jolt things back into place. Jake, and all his friends, werewolves. Somehow, that surprised me more than learning about…them…had. _They_ had seemed different from the start; Jake and the others looked normal, big, but normal.

I was grateful for Sam's promise to explain and for Jared's start to the process. So many questions had bubbled up in my mind, that it had been hard to organize them into any kind of sense. Jared had answered everything I'd asked, all the way from La Push to home, and I hadn't even really gotten started. I had briefly considered asking Jared about what had gone on between him and Jacob, and why Jacob had reacted the way he did at all, but I had decided that I probably wasn't ready to find that out yet, and had stuck to lighter questions instead.

Charlie actually wasn't home yet; he and Harry must have had very good luck at their favorite fishing hole. I wasn't hungry yet—due to everything I'd eaten at Emily and Sam's, so I just prepped some slow-bake potatoes for the oven, and retreated up to my room to think. Partly about what I'd learned today, but more about what might happen tomorrow. As grateful as I was for my reprieve today, I knew it couldn't last. At some point, someone would ask me about…them, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that yet. I knew that the pack had some right to know, because of the treaty Jacob had mentioned that day at the beach, but I wasn't sure how well they would react to knowing how much I had known, and when and where I'd learned it.

I heard Charlie stomping his boots in the mud room, and dashed downstairs as quickly as I could without tripping. I'd just remembered my missing truck, and knew Charlie would be flipping out about its absence.

"Hey, dad," I gasped, as I almost fell though the kitchen door. "Have fun fishing?" I could smell the results, so I already knew.

"Bella? What happened to your truck?" His face was full of concern.

"It died on me when I was down at La Push today, dad. Jake's going to take a look at it, and one of his friends gave me a ride home. He's going to take me back down tomorrow, so I can hopefully drive my truck back."

"Which friend?" My dad was in full police-chief mode.

"Jared Mahan. I think he's about my age."

"Why didn't Jake bring you back?"

"He'd had to run home to help Billy with something, before my truck died, and I didn't know how long it would take him to come back." Sheesh, he was suspicious.

Charlie seemed satisfied with that answer, and headed upstairs to shower. I squared my shoulders, and got to work on the fish he'd brought home.

As I lay in bed later that night, I found my thoughts returning to their previous paths. Just before I drifted off, I resolved that I would use the drive down to La Push to ask Jared about the him-and-Jake issue; it wasn't something I wanted to bring up in front of the whole pack.

_I turned my head from side to side, trying to peer between the trees to glimpse what I could hear was out there. My breath caught in my throat—I __**knew**__ that I didn't want whatever-it-was to find me._

_Suddenly, Edw-Edward was there in front of me. "Bella, come, we have to get out of here. It's not safe, come."_

_I backed up a step, "What? Why are you here? What is it?"_

"_Come, Bella," _

_A deep growl behind me had me spinning around. Jake. No, it wasn't. It was a different wolf, one with brown fur, I thought. He paused beside me for a moment, and I found myself running my hand through the fur on his shoulder. He kept going, until he was between Edward and me._

"_Don't hurt him," I gasped, not knowing who I was talking to._

_The wolf turned to look at me, and I gasped again to see Jared's eyes looking out from the animal's face. An instant later, a human Jared stood in its place. "I won't let him hurt you, Bella," he promised. _

"_Bella, I love you," Edward told me. "Wolves are dangerous, please come."_

_I stood there, frozen. "You left me, you don't love me anymore."_

"_I do, Bella. Please let me protect you, you don't know how dangerous wolves can be."_

"_Bella, run," Jared urged me._

_Everything thing, the forest and their words, started spinning around me. As I started to collapse, the ground rushed up to meet me. Just upon impact, I woke up with a jolt._

***

I hope you enjoyed the latest installment. Next chapter will hopefully be up by the end of the week.

Edit: I've posted the first chapter to a new story "Party Crashers".


	5. Oops

AN: Again, I don't own anything. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations. I had a harder time with it than with the earlier chapters. I welcome reader input, and any suggestions on questions that Bella or the pack would think of asking. Will probably be close to the middle of next week before chapter 6 will be ready.

Jared POV

Despite staying up late thinking about Bella, I was awake shortly after dawn. I wasn't due at Bella's until noon, and I wasn't on the patrol schedule for today, but more sleep just wasn't going to happen. In fact, I was at a loss to figure out what I could do to occupy my time for the whole morning. When I heard my mom moving around the house, I left my room for the kitchen.

"Hey, mom." I gave her a quick hug, since none of the guys were around.

"Jared. Sleep well?" she asked.

"Yep, just not tired enough to sleep longer." I started rooting around in the pantry for a good breakfast option. Emily would feed us good at lunch, but that was hours away.

"What are your plans for today?" mom asked.

"I'll be over at Sam and Emily's helping out this afternoon. And I'll be giving Bella Swan a ride down from Forks."

Mom's eyebrows rose at that. "Police Chief Swan's daughter? Why?"

"She was down visiting yesterday, and her truck died. I gave her a lift home, and offered to pick her up today to come back for her truck."

Mom ruffled her hand through my hair. "Very thoughtful of you, dear."

"It's nothing," I shrugged. Apparently, I wasn't quite as casual about it as I thought, because she set down the coffee pot and joined me at the kitchen table.

"Nothing, giving rides to a girl?" her disbelief was clear.

"Mom!" I groaned. "There's nothing going on."

"But you'd like for there to be, right?" Man, was I surrounded by perceptive women now, or what?

"Maybe," I hedged. "But she's coming off a really bad break-up, so…"

Mom pushed a plate of cornbread closer to me after taking a piece for herself and settling in.

"See, she was dating a son of that Dr. Cullen, before they moved to L.A. at the beginning of the school year. She got lost in the woods, and Sam was the one who found her. She's been in really bad shape since then, depressed and all. She started hanging out with Jacob a little while ago, and started to improve, but still…"

Mom reached across the table to pat my arm. "Honey, I know I don't say this enough, but I'm really proud of you. Most boys your age are rather emotionally-clueless. It's wonderful that you recognize that it will take her time to get over that 'first-love', and even when she does, she'll never completely forget it. Just take it slow, and at her pace. She'll really appreciate it."

"Does Jacob know how you feel about her?" she asked next.

"Yeah, he kind-of figured it out yesterday." I admitted.

"And?"

"He's okay with it. He just wants her to be happy and not keep hurting."

Mom got up, and headed back toward the stove. "Just put her first and you'll do fine."

***

Bella POV

I woke up from my dream with a gasp. What was all that about? Sinking back into my pillows, I rubbed my face and tried to rub some sense into my mind at the same time. Okay, my close call with Laurent a few days ago would explain the beginning of my dream, but why had Edward appeared? Why was he trying to save me in my dreams now? And why had Jared been protecting me too? It didn't make sense to me that someone I'd only met for the first time yesterday would be so protective of me? But then, he had done exactly that yesterday, forcing Paul away from me. I was confused, but also somehow touched by it all. That last thought was enough to send me drifting back into sleep.

I woke again, this time to the touch of the sun on my face. As I rubbed the sleep away, I realized that I felt more rested than I had in a long time. When I got down to the kitchen, I realized that Charlie had also noticed my better night, and the lack of a screaming nightmare, which had been an all-too-present reality of our last few months.

"Plans for today, Bella?" he inquired.

"I thought I might go down to La Push again," I said. "I met Emily, Sam Uley's fiancée, and she invited me back. Plus, I'm hoping Jake has figured out what went wrong with my truck."

"Is Jake coming to pick you up, or do you need me to give you a ride on my way to go fishing?"

"Dad, remember I said that Jake's friend Jared would be picking me up?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right."

After washing the few breakfast dishes we'd used, I escaped back upstairs to get ready, and then forced myself to work on my calculus homework. I was ready well before noon, but made myself wait in my room; I didn't want Charlie to have anything to comment on. I used the time to try and organize my questions for Jared and the pack. Right at noon, I heard the doorbell ring, and Charlie heave himself out of his recliner to go answer it.

"Hello, Chief Swan," I heard Jared say, "I'm Jared Mahan, Jacob's friend. I'm here to give Bella a ride to La Push."

"Come in, Jared," Charlie told him. "Bella's still upstairs, but she should be down in a minute. Bells?" he called up the stairs to me.

"Coming, dad," I called back. I carefully descended the stairs, and found Jared and Charlie sitting in the living room. Somehow, it looked a lot less awkward than the last time I'd had someone here waiting for me—and how odd, the lack of excruciating pain that this thought brought me.

"Hi, Jared. Thanks again for the ride."

"No problem, Bella," he assured me. "Oh, I talked to Jake, and he did get things figured out. Says your truck ought to be good for a while."

He surveyed me for a moment, similar to yesterday. Then, "Well, Emily's expecting us both for lunch, so we'd better get going if we want to get anything. The guys won't leave much if we're late."

Charlie followed us to the door. "Don't worry about heading back early, Bells," he told me. "I'll be fishing with Harry again the rest of the day.

***

Jared POV

As I pulled out of the driveway and got us started on the road to La Push, I glanced over at my passenger. "Think of more questions?"

"A few," she admitted. "Why do you become wolves?"

My brows lowered a bit. "What do you mean? Why is it a wolf, or what causes us to change at all?"

"Both."

"Well, the wolf has always been a part of our tribal culture. Legends have us being descended from them." She nodded at that, not seeming surprised. "You'll have to come down the next time we have a bonfire and storytelling evening. It's really impressive to hear."

"As to why, we're protectors. When the tribe needs us, guys who are old enough start phasing. If there's no need, then nothing happens."

"Protectors against what?" she wanted to know. "Homicidal hikers?"

"No!" I exclaimed, stung. "We're trying to _save_ those people; it just seems like we always get there just a little too late."

"So what is killing them?"

"The one thing that we _do_ hunt—vampires." My blood almost ran cold to see what Jake had mentioned—Bella wrapping her arms around her body, as if in a gesture of protection.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried, taking one hand off the wheel to touch her arm.

A jerky nod. "I'm fine." She told me. Yeah, I didn't buy that one. She must have sensed that, because she rushed into another question, probably trying to distract me.

"What was up with you and Jake yesterday?" Crap, definitely not a subject I was ready to delve into yet. Sam had warned me that I'd need to tell her soon, but I agreed with Jake that I didn't think she was ready for it. I pulled over at the edge of the clearing surrounding Sam and Emily's cabin, trying to think of how to get through this conversation.

Bella was regarding my silence suspiciously. "What is it? You and Jake seemed fine after your talk, but what made him get upset to begin with?"

"Well, he wasn't happy with Paul loosing it like that, and he's pretty protective of you, so I think it bothered him a bit that I was a little quicker to jump to your defense than he was." True, but vague and probably a bit lame. She seemed to agree.

"So why did you, then? You'd never met me before yesterday, and one look at me is enough to make you turn into a wolf and fight one of your friends? Why would I deserve that?" Did she really think she didn't deserve to be protected like the treasure she was?

"Bella, you _do_ deserve that, and so much more." I whispered fervently, willing her to believe me.

"But why do _you_ think that? What could I possibly mean to you?" she was confused and trembling.

"You're…my imprint, Bella," I told her. Ready or not, she needed to know.

"What?"

"It happens occasionally in the pack. When one of us meets someone truly special, someone who's a perfect match…That's what it was about—why I protected you against Paul, why Jacob was upset at first, until he understood. You're everything to me."

A look of complete panic blazed on her face. "What? No, no! I can't…you don't...breathe…can't deal with this…" Her breath was rasping, and her hands were scrabbling at the door handle. "I…have…to…get…out…of…here!" She finally managed to get the door open and stumbled out. "Leave me alone," Bella gasped as she headed for the woods.

"Bella!" I called out. She didn't seem to notice, and disappeared into the trees. I stumbled back until I collided with my car's body, then sank down to the ground, my legs not having the strength to hold me up. What had I done to cause this? What could I do about it?


	6. Revelations

AN: Special treat for all my faithful reviewers and followers: I know I said before that the next chapter in "The Wolf and His Girl" wouldn't be out until next week, but this chapter really seemed to flow right out of my fingers; completely makes up for the fight I had with chapter 5. Enjoy. Once again, I don't own anything Twilight.

Jared POV

"Jared?" It took a moment for Sam's voice to penetrate the fog in my mind. I looked up and blinked him into focus. "Sam," My gaze dropped, as if keeping my eyes up was way too much effort.

"What happened?"

"I wish I knew." The pain I was feeling had to be apparent in my body, voice, and eyes. Sam's own gaze had been filled with understanding. He knew only too well how easy it could be to hurt your imprint, even if that was the last thing you wanted to do.

"Did you tell her?"

"I started to, then the next thing I know, she's running." The rejection I felt was palpable.

"A normal reaction at last," Sam's mouth twisted.

"What do I do?" I implored my Alpha, the only other wolf to have imprinted, to tell me what I ought to do.

"Give Bella some space right now. She's been hit with quite a lot in the last 24 hours; some of her reaction probably wasn't related to what you were telling her right then." His eyes tracked back over to his house. "I think it might help if she talked to Emily. Em's probably the one that Bella can relate to best right now."

I nodded, relieved to see a plan of action.

"I'll walk her out," Jacob offered, from behind Sam. I about jumped out of my skin, not having heard him approach.

"You'll walk who where?" asked Emily from behind them both. Sam turned to her.

"I think it will help things if you talk to Bella. She seems to be reacting to things now, especially the imprint."

I truly realized Sam's wisdom right then. Emily and Sam had had a lot to deal with at the beginning of their relationship: his jilting of her cousin Leah and the scars she'd gotten from Sam's claws topped the list. Emily really would know exactly how Bella was feeling.

"Of course I will. Women have a way of explaining things so that they make sense." She smiled at me. "I'm happy to help. Where is she?"

I pointed in the direction Bella had gone, and Emily and Jacob headed after her.

***

Bella POV

I stumbled a ways into the woods, before deciding I had better stop, before I either got lost or got injured. I sank down in a dry hollow between two tree roots. Why did this always happen to me? Why did I always seem to attract the over-protective super-guys? What was wrong with them? But then I stopped dead in my mental tracks. _What exactly is wrong with __**me**__?_ I wondered. _A guy just told me that I'm special, and worth everything, and I run away?_

_I can't do this. This is wrong! I love Edward, we were supposed to be together forever, _the other part of me said, the part that had been running things ever since **That Day**. Before I'd come to Forks, I'd been the responsible one, the dependable one, the one that got things done no matter what, no matter how flakey Renee was or what harebrained scheme she'd just come up with. Yet within a few months of coming here…A long-ago conversation with Edward, right at the beginning of things, came back into my thoughts. _You're like a drug to me,_ he'd said. _I don't think I have the strength to stay away from you_. He'd called me his own personal brand of heroin, and I realized now that he'd been mine too. And I had been clinging to my memories, seeking out danger like a junkie desperate for the next fix. _It's not healthy, this grieving_, Charlie had said, of my reaction to the Cullen's departure. And it was just as true of my feelings for Edward, I now discovered. If I had been a drug for him, he had been just as much a drug for me, too. He had left me, and I had no reason to expect that he would ever come back. Did I want to spend the rest of my life addicted to an absent drug?

"Bella?" a voice had me jerking upright, scraping the back of my hand on the tree bark. It was Emily.

"Emily? What are you doing here?"

"Sam thought you might need to talk to someone, and that I might be the one best able to understand how you're feeling right now." She sat down on the ground near my feet and leaned back against the tree root. Do you know anything about me?"

I shook my head. "Just that you're engaged to Sam and that…" I trailed off, not wanting to offend her by mentioning the scars." She knew anyway.

"And that I got these scars when Sam phased too close to me. In an odd way, it's what brought us together, though."

_What?_ Emily saw my confusion and continued her explanation. "You see, I'm actually from the Makah Reservation up north. I came down to visit my cousin after her boyfriend disappeared for a few weeks. One day, I met Sam, and he reacted to me just like Jared did to you: he imprinted."

"What exactly does that mean?" I wanted to know. "Jared tried to explain a little, but I wasn't really paying attention."

"When a wolf imprints, and only Sam and Jared have, so far, the girl becomes the center of his universe, and everything revolves around her, like the planets orbit the sun. Nothing is more important to him than her happiness. Whatever she needs him to be, that's what he will become."

"That sounds so…restrictive. I mean, what if he was already with someone else? Does he just drop the first girl and follow after the other one?" I couldn't believe that something could be so messed up.

"The imprinting brings together two people who are perfectly matched, soul-mates, in a sense. They are completely compatible and ideal."

"But…" I still wanted an answer to my question.

Emily sighed a little. "Yes, Bella, if he was with someone else before the imprint, he will still be drawn to the girl he's truly meant to be with. The other relationship just wasn't meant to be, and would have ended or become miserable for both of them at some point."

"Is this one of the stories?"

"No, it's fact. My cousin is named Leah, and her boyfriend disappeared when he became a wolf for the first time."

My mouth dropped open. "Sam?!"

She nodded.

"And you were just okay with that?

"No, I actually wasn't at first. Here I'd come down wanting to help my cousin, and all I'd done was rip her boyfriend away from her. Of course, _I_ hadn't actually done anything, but that's how I felt. I tried to push Sam away, or at least keep him at arm's length. I didn't want him to hurt Leah like that, but from the moment he first saw me, I was the only one he saw. We were actually 'discussing' it when Sam lost control and cut me. As soon as it happened, he was so upset he tried to run away. I think if I'd have told him to go jump in the sea, or in front of a bus, he would have done it, he was feeling so guilty. I somehow ended up trying to help him, and then I couldn't figure out why I'd been so against it before."

"And Leah?" I wanted to know.

"She's working through it. I've asked her to be my bridesmaid, and she's said yes, but she still keeps her distance."

"Did…?" I couldn't make myself finish the question. Did I really want to know?

"No, Jared didn't have a girlfriend, or anyone he especially liked." Emily assured me. I felt a little bit better.

"So Jared's okay with this? With not having a choice when it comes to me?"

"He wants you to be happy, Bella, whatever that means and however it happens."

"And what about me? Do I have a choice?" I didn't like the idea of not having options when it came to something like this.

"Of course you do." Emily affirmed. "This really is all about you. If you just need a friend, that's what he'll be to you. If and when you're ready for more, he'll be there for that too."

"But what if I'm _never_ ready for more? Will he just be alone and miserable for the rest of his life?" I couldn't bear it if that were true. Would I never stop making the people around me suffer?

"Bella, he's alone and miserable _right now_, thinking he's ruined everything with you by not explaining things better." I shrieked in fright as Jake's voice came out of nowhere. He crouched down opposite Emily, on my other side.

"What?" I gasped, holding my throat to try and keep my heart from jumping out if it. "He didn't do anything wrong! I'm the one who…"

***

Jared POV

"Yes, I did, Bella," I said, walking out of the woods to crouch down beside her. "I knew I had to tread carefully with you, and yet I still ended up barreling ahead like an idiot and hurting you. I'm so sorry for that," I looked apologetically at her and at Jacob.

"Jared, I'm the one who should be sorry," Bella told me, a determined expression on her face. "Here you were, telling me how important I am to you, and I ran away from you as if you were a monster or something." I stared at her in shock, until I saw how she was fighting a twitch of her mouth.

"But I _am_, didn't you know?" I teased back.

"No, you're not. You're a guy who just happens to get a little furry sometimes." Bella informed me, seriously.

Little noises off to each side brought back the awareness that Jacob and Emily were still here, and witnessing all of this. From the expression on her face, Bella had also clearly forgotten their presence.

"I think I've got it from here," I told them both. "Let Sam know we're okay, would you?"

"Aw, c'mon, can't I watch?" Jacob mock-pouted. But Emily was already pulling him in the direction of the cabin.

When I was sure that we were alone, I looked deep into Bella's eyes, desperate for her to read how completely sincere I was being. "I _am_ sorry, Bella. I never wanted to hurt you at all, and it tears me up inside that it's almost the first thing I _did_. I only hope that you can forgive me, and maybe give me another chance."

She tentatively reached out a laid her small hand on top of mine. "Of course, I can forgive you, Jared, because there isn't anything to forgive. I just have…issues…and that's not your fault."

I smiled a little in relief. "Thank you. And whatever happens, if I ever do something that you don't like, or you're not ready for, please tell me. I _know_ you don't have a problem expressing yourself," I teased, in allusion to her slapping Paul the day before.

"I didn't mean to," she blushed bright red. "He just…"

"Got on your nerves?" I grinned. "Don't worry; it happens to the rest of us all the time. I think the others thought it was rather funny, actually."

"But not you." she guessed.

I shook my head. "Not with him having lost it so close to you. I wasn't about to let him hurt you. I'd do anything to keep that from happening."

Her eyes reflected pain that I wanted so badly to wipe away. "I don't want you to be hurt, either, and I'm scared that you will be. I feel so damaged…I don't know if I'll ever be whole again, and…"

"Whatever you need, Bella, however long it is. I promise you," I could feel the throbbing intensity of my emotion, "_you_ will be all that I need, and I'll never have regrets or doubts or second-thoughts. And however long or challenging the journey, I will be right beside you every single step on the way."

A shy nod and smile. "And I will try to be worthy of that," she promised me.

"You don't have try, Bella. You already are; you always have been."

"Then I'll try to believe that." Bella said.

"And I'll keep reminding you." Aware that we were now veering toward silliness, I redirected the conversation. "Were you still wanting to get some more answers?"

She nodded emphatically. "Definitely. And I guess you guys will probably have some questions for me, too." She didn't sound quite as enthusiastic about that part.

"Yeah, probably. But _no one_ will make you answer anything that you don't want to, Bella. I swear it." I offered her a hand up from the ground, and kept hold of hers as we started walking out of the woods.

AN2: I said at the beginning that this chapter really just flowed right out: the whole thing was done in about 2 hours. Of course, I was totally procrastinating on my grad school paper, but I just couldn't help it. Chapter 7 will really have to wait until I get that paper done, though.


	7. Bombshells

Thanks to everyone for their patience as I had to take time to work on my school paper. I'm pleased to say that it's done, barring any final edits, and I was able to work on this chapter. As ever, your comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome.

Once again, I don't own Twilight, although I wish I did.

Jared POV

We came out of the woods, and I ushered Bella up onto the porch. Before we walked through the door, I reminded her, "Nothing that you don't want to answer."

She nodded in gratitude and stepped into the house.

Everyone looked up at us as we came in. Bella, predictably, blushed at the attention.

"See we didn't scare you off yesterday," Paul commented, nudging a chair away from the table for Bella. She tensed, ever-so-slightly.

"I don't usually scare very easily," she replied, sitting down. I snagged my own chair and pulled it up next to hers. Sam gestured between the two of us, while asking her, "And what about…?"

Bella blushed a bit, and ducked her head, "Confused, mostly, but I'm working on that." I gave Sam a long look, strongly suggesting he drop this line of inquiry.

He nodded slightly, and moved on. "So have you thought of any questions?" I ducked my own head to hide a grin. _Here it comes._

"How long have you been wolves?" Bella asked.

"It's varied," he told her. "It's been about two years for me, down to only two weeks for Jake."

"A year-and-a-half," I offered.

"Year," Paul mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"Couple months, but you'd probably remember that," Embry said. Bella nodded.

"So, how long have _you_ known?" Paul asked her.

Bella flinched. "I guess Embry didn't say anything, did he?"

Everyone turned to look at him. He looked pretty embarrassed. "Um, well…"

"It's okay," Bella told him. "I guess I ought to be the one."

She proceeded to relate what she'd evidently told Embry the day before. "Please don't blame Jacob," she urged Sam. "He didn't realize what he was really telling me. And anyway, Billy just about told Charlie, too."

We all blinked at that bombshell, then stared at her.

"Billy?" several voices chorused.

"You remember, Jake?" she asked him. "It was the day you and Billy came up to bring Charlie some fish fry, and he and I were both gone."

Jake was lost in thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah, it was when that—" he broke off quickly, then regrouped, "when I had to look through the entire car—in the rain—to find a photo that was probably never there to begin with. He was going to tell Charlie?" Jake was stunned at that.

"Yeah," Bella told us. "I guess he was more worried about me than…Anyway, Charlie wasn't home, and I guess I convinced Billy that I didn't want his interference. I don't think he expected me to know as much as I did."

"So," Sam was working it all out, "You knew about them pretty much the whole time, and it didn't bother you?"

Bella shook her head, "No more than it bothers me about you guys." Man, I loved this girl.

In between bites of Emily's food, Bella asked us all about our favorite part of being a wolf.

I thought things were going pretty well, until Paul just had to open his big fat mouth and shove his massive foot clear down to his stomach. "Not that I'm sorry about it," he began, "but what exactly made the leeches suddenly decide to pack up and run last fall?"

Bella's fork hit the plate with a clang, and fell unheeded to the floor. Her chest and shoulders began heaving with the force of her panic. I barely noticed Jacob's chair hitting the floor with the force of his rise; all my attention was on Bella. I carefully wrapped my arm around her and drew her close to my side. "Bella, I'm here, I've got you, just breathe, please," I murmured in a broken stream.

Whatever was going on around us was unknown and unimportant to me. My focus was the wounded girl in my arms. _Just wait until I get my teeth into you, Paul,_ I threatened silently. Eventually Bella's breathing evened out, and I realized she'd exhausted herself into a light doze. I shifted her fully onto my lap and glared at Paul. He had a rapidly fading bruise on his cheek, so I was guessing someone had gotten in a good punch in Bella's defense; Jake's fist-wag answered my unspoken question as to whom.

"Sorry, sorry," Paul apologized urgently. I didn't say anything for a while, just continued to stare. Finally, I told him, "_I'm_ not the one you need to say that to. And to the rest of you: _don't_ think of following his example, or a fist to the face will be the least of your problems."

***

Bella POV

I slowly started to resurface, momentarily confused about why I was feeling so crummy. As a pair of arms slightly loosened around me, I abruptly remembered. Paul had asked me…no, I wasn't going to think of it and lose it again. I realized, as I opened my eyes, that the arms were Jared's and that I was sitting on his lap. I kept my head down, sure that I looked terrible and that the guys hadn't appreciated my girly moment.

"Bella?" it was Emily. "Let's go have a girl moment, okay?" I nodded and stood, Jared supporting me until I got my feet under me. His hand squeezed my arm lightly as he let go.

In the bathroom, Emily gave me damp cloth to wash my face. "I'm sorry about that," I murmured.

"Don't be!" Emily reproved me. "You didn't do anything. Paul was the one who acted like a jerk. Jacob punched him, and Jared issued threats of bodily harm, so he ought to be properly apologetic.

"I still shouldn't have lost it like that," I tried to continue, trying desperately not to blush at hearing how I'd been championed.

"Bella," her hands rested on my shoulders, and she waited until I looked at her. "No break-up is ever easy, no matter what the circumstances or who's involved. Sam, at least, understands how such things can hurt, and he'll keep the rest of them in line. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for how much it meant to you." She offered me a hug, and I clung to her for a long moment.

When I felt up to it, we went back out to join the others. I returned to my seat, and Jared silently clasped one of my hands in one of his. I accepted Paul's apology, even though part of me wanted to punch him like I had yesterday; I didn't do it, partly because Jacob already had, and partly because I didn't think I could do it a second time without breaking something—I was actually surprised, in hindsight, that I hadn't broken my hand the first time around.

"Bella," Sam said formally, "I am sorry for the pain you've been caused. We will do everything we can not to add to that, but there are things that the pack needs to know."

"I know," I whispered. "But can I ask something, first?"

"Of course."

"The hikers who've been killed—if it's not the wolves, then who is killing them?"

Jared turned to me, "I told you already, Bella. It's what we kill that's killing them."

"But who? Laurent?"

"Who is that?" Embry asked. "The dark-skinned bloodsucker with dreadlocks?"

I managed a shaky nod.

"Yeah, he got some of them," Embry confirmed, "but not the last couple."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's dead, Bella," Jake interrupted Embry. "We chased him down and disposed of him the day you saw us in the meadow."

I started shaking again. "You killed him? But you can't kill them, they're too fast, they'd get away."

"We're faster," Embry snorted, "plus, it was five of us and only one of him. He's toast."

Despite my relief at knowing he was no longer a threat to me, I was confused. "But if it isn't him killing now, then who is?"

Sam answered me. "There was a red-headed female circling around before he joined her a few weeks back. We've chased her away several times, but she keeps returning. We've yet to figure out why."

I knew, oh did I ever know why. My shaking became more pronounced, and Jared quickly noticed. Placing his other hand gently under my chin, he gently asked, "Do you know, Bella? Why she's coming here? Do you know what she wants?"

My eyes filled with tears, blurring his face, "It's Victoria. And she wants me," I gasped.

In a swift movement, Jared pulled me close to him, burying his face in my hair. I couldn't begin to guess how long we sat like that, only that I somehow felt so comforted by his presence and hold on me. I think I started, just a little, to really believe that I was as important to him as he'd said.

When his hold relaxed slightly, I drew back so that I could see his face. He somehow seemed older than he had been earlier, as if what I'd said had aged him even more than his transformation.

"Why does she want you, Bella?" Jared's hands still cradled my shoulders, as if he was unwilling to let me move too far away from him.

"Because I'm the reason her mate is dead."

"That Laurent?" This from Sam.

"No," I shook my head. "He wasn't her mate; James was."

"What do you mean, Bella?" Jared asked, his hands dropping to grasp mine again. "Who was James? And when did you meet any of them?"

"It was last spring," I began. I held tightly to Jared's hands; it was probably the only way I was going to get through this. "Edward took me to their house, to meet the rest of the family. They were going to play baseball—"

"Vampires play baseball?" Paul gaped.

I could feel my mouth twitch the slightest bit. After all, hadn't I reacted exactly the same way then? "Yeah, a storm was coming and that was the only time they could play."

"Why?" Emily wondered.

"With how loud they were hitting the ball or colliding with each other, they said they had to have the cover of a storm to ever get to play." I saw some heads shaking, as if the concept of vampires enjoying America's favorite pastime was incomprehensible.

"Anyway, in the middle of the game, three vampires showed up. They'd come faster than Alice was expecting, so there wasn't time to get me away from the field."

"The Cullen's were _expecting_ them?" Sam clearly didn't like that. I hurried on to try and explain, feeling a vague sense of guilt at sharing the Cullen's secrets like this.

"Not in the sense you mean," I said. "They just knew the others were going to be passing through. Alice…could see things before they happened."

"More true stories, then," Jake muttered. "Did any of the others have 'special abilities'?"

"Just two." I admitted. "Jasper, Alice's mate, could sense and affect people's emotions, and Edward…could read people's minds—well, everyone's except mine."

"James was the leader of that other coven, and Laurent and Victoria were with him. James was a tracker, a hunter, and the way that all the Cullen's, especially Edward, protected me, it just set him off. After they retreated, James decided to hunt me; I'd become a challenge. Alice and Jasper drove me south to Phoenix, and Edward and the rest split up to try and distract James and Victoria. Laurent came to warn the Cullen's about James—I thought he'd gone to Alaska after that, but I guess he changed his mind. The diversions worked for a little while, but James figured things out, and tracked me to Phoenix from the old address Victoria found in my school file. He called me and made me think he had my mom, so that I'd come to meet him; he didn't have her, but I didn't know that till I got there. "I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath to steel myself to tell the rest of it.

"He threw me around, I got a gash in my head, and he broke my leg…" I could feel Jared's hands tightening around mine. I vaguely heard growls coming from the other members of the pack, but Jared just waited patiently for me to continue. "Edward appeared and was fighting James, but James managed to throw him off long enough to get to me and bite my wrist." Jared quickly let go of my hands and pushed up my sleeves to reveal the silver double-crescent scar just above my right wrist that was my souvenir of that night.

"Why aren't you a…?" he whispered.

"Edward sucked the venom back out. He didn't want me to become like them. The others killed James, and then staged my injuries as an accidental fall."

"This is all the Cullens' fault," Jacob growled.

"No, no, it's not. They saved my life. James would have killed me several times over if it weren't for them!" I had to make him understand that the Cullens weren't the pack's enemies. I didn't really expect that it would be an issue anymore, with the Cullens gone, but it somehow seemed like a failure on my part to not defend them from false charges.

"So, this Victoria is out for revenge." Sam concluded.

I nodded. "They killed her mate, so she wants to return the favor; that's what Laurent said anyway. I swallowed convulsively.

"When did you find that out?" Paul blurted, drawing my attention. I directed a glare at him, still a bit resentful for his earlier outburst. He was definitely not shaping up to be my favorite member of the pack.

"Before you showed up in the meadow," I turned my attention back to Jared.

"Bella, what happened there, before we came? Why were you even out there at all?"

"I'd been there before—I just had to find that meadow again. When I did, Laurent was there…"

(flashback)

_I went to the Cullens' place. I was surprised to find them gone. Weren't you something of a pet of theirs? _He asked me_._

_Something like that, _I admitted.

_Do they visit often?_ He'd asked me.

_Yes, _I'd lied, _all the time. I'll be sure to let them know you stopped by, but I probably shouldn't mention it to Edward—he's very protective of me._

_I don't think so_, he'd disagreed, moving toward me with an obvious purpose. _After all, how important could you be to him if he left you here alone and unprotected?_

_Please, don't do this, Edward will come after you._ I didn't think that would work, but I was desperate to come up with anything to keep him away from me.

_Shhh,_ he'd said._ It will be better this way. I will kill you quickly, but Victoria would kill you slowly and painfully._

_Victoria?_ I'd gasped.

_I actually came here as a favor to her. She won't be happy about me killing you._

_Why?_

_She wants revenge you see. The Cullens killed her mate, so she wants to return the favor._

(end flashback)

"She must not know…that's not the case anymore." I squeezed my eyes shut, and felt Jared pull me close once again.

"We're going to protect you, Bella, I swear it," he whispered.

"How?"

"I don't know, but I swear we'll think of something."


	8. Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. I'm just borrowing everything for my own pleasure and the enjoyment of my readers. I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to add me to their favorites or alerts, or to send me a review. It's such a boost to know how much other people are appreciating my writing. I welcome more comments and any suggestions.

"_We're going to protect you, Bella, I swear it," he whispered. _

"_How?"_

"_I don't know, but I swear we'll think of something."_

Jared POV

My proclamation echoed in the hushed cabin. Everyone was quiet, absorbing all we'd just learned. It made no sense that a bloodsucker would be so attached to another, even their "mate", to be seeking revenge for their final death a full year later. And it was beyond twisted to realize that she wasn't even going after the ones who had actually killed her mate, the ones ultimately responsible. Now, if the Cullens had really felt about Bella the way this Victoria seemed to believe, then what she was trying to do did make some sick kind of sense, on the order of 'an eye for an eye'. But they didn't, and they were long gone, so her plan was just cruel, and so '_Not going to happen',_ I swore.

I glanced around, briefly taking my eyes off Bella, to see that everyone was still just as I had last seen them. Now that we knew exactly what was going on, we could start to make real plans to deal with this problem once and for all.

"Eat up, everyone," Sam directed us.

"So what's the plan?" Embry asked, brimming with enthusiasm as he dug in again.

"We'll keep up the patrols, first off," Sam began planning. "Paul, Jake, and Embry, I want the three of you to head out once we're done here."

"Close in, or way out?" Jake asked, around a mouthful of food.

"Do a spiral: start close, then sweep out. Check to see if she's started nosing around again." The three nodded their understanding of Sam's order, as he continued. "Long-term, obviously the protection of the tribe and Bella is our highest priority, but we want to protect everyone we can. I'd like to catch her as far away from here as possible."

"Protected, how, exactly?" Bella wanted to know. Some developing instinct about her made me suspect that doing so wouldn't be quite as easy as one might think.

"We'll make a point of patrolling around your house at night," I told her. I hoped she wouldn't be freaked by having a wolf outside her bedroom every night.

"You don't have to that," she tried to decline. "I don't want anyone losing sleep over me." I was reminded yet again how utterly unlike any other girl that Bella was. She _was_ bothered, not about us being there, but about us losing sleep.

I hurried to reassure her that we weren't being put out to extra effort. "Bella, at least one of us is always up then anyway. We'll just expand our run to include coming by your house to make sure everything's okay."

"If you're sure," she relented. "Just don't let Charlie see you; he doesn't unload his gun at home anymore."

Paul snorted softly at that, and I had to grin. Bella noticed.

"What?"

"We're not just fast and strong," I told her. "We also have this super healing ability where most injuries are concerned." She opened her mouth, probably to say something along the line of 'bullet holes aren't most injuries', so I placed a finger gently against her lips for a moment. "I know, which is why we'll stay out of his sight, regardless."

"Anything else?" she asked next.

I looked deep into her eyes again. "I think you should spend as much time here at La Push as you can, after school and on weekends."

The brown eyes set in that pale perfect face widened in surprise. She thought for a moment, long enough for me to fear another objection, then a glimmer of mischief flared. "What, no insistence that I change schools, or just move down here?" _Would she?_

"If I thought it would work, I'd probably suggest it," I admitted, figuring she would appreciate my honesty.

"But…"

"Probably not very likely or practical, huh?" I smiled wryly.

"Probably not," she agreed. "Being the new girl last year was bad enough; it'd be worse now, for sure. I hate being the 'shiny new toy'. Plus, I'm just two months away from graduating—it'd be too much of a hassle."

I knew that, but part of me would have loved having her around all day every day, teaching her the ropes at school. Bella looked at me with such shy gratitude, that I thought she must have had some idea of what I was thinking.

"Besides, I owe it to Charlie to make up for things the last few months." Suddenly, her face froze in an expression of horror. "Charlie! What if she—"

"Bella," I cradled her face between my hands. "Charlie will be protected, too. I promise."

"Yeah, Bella," Jake leaned over. "March Madness is going now, and baseball's next, so Billy and Harry can get him down to the rez a lot."

She took a deep breath in relief. So like Bella, to be more worried about others than about herself. Well, wasn't that my job now?

"I just wish now that I hadn't told Charlie your truck was fixed," I admitted.

***

Bella POV

I rolled my eyes. "Jared," I chided, guessing what he meant by that, "you driving me everywhere would hardly be any more practical."

Some of the others started snickering, and I sent a mild glare among them.

"If you three are done eating, you'd better head out," Sam told Jake, Embry, and Paul. They all pushed their chairs back from the table, thanked Emily, and headed for the door. Jake glanced back over his shoulder to say, "It'll be fine, Bella."

When it was just the four of us left, we just sat there for a moment, no one seeming to know what to say next.

"Bella, I know that you seem to handle things pretty well, but I want you to know that Emily and I are here, for anything you might need." Sam told me earnestly. I nodded.

"Do you have any regrets about it? Imprinting?" I asked.

He considered for a moment. "In one sense, yes. In most, no. I did care deeply for Leah, and it's one of my bitterest regrets that she was hurt so badly and never knew why. But, I love Emily more than I could ever have imagined loving anyone, and I am so happy to have found her. She's incredibly understanding of what I have to do. No matter what happens we know how we feel."

"I don't want to have regrets," I confessed, "but I'm scared that I won't be able to do this, that I'll let him down. No," I insisted, when I saw Jared about to protest, "I don't want you to be hurt if I can't…"

"Bella, you could never do that to me." Jared told me earnestly. I could only hope that he was right.

"Nothing has to be decided now. I don't want you to be hurt either. We'll take things as slow as you need to. The imprint doesn't have to scare you, it can truly help make everything alright." He did have a way of soothing my concerns while I was with him. I could only wonder how I would feel once I was alone again.

"Jared, if you're up to it, you can have the watch at Bella's tonight," Sam told him.

"Sure, Sam," he agreed. "Bella, I'm going to phase, and follow you back to town, okay?"

"Alright. Thank you, Sam, Emily." I told them.

"Bella, I imagine your dad would probably like to have you at home for a change, especially since you've spent the last couple days here. Would you mind if I came by after you get home from school tomorrow? We could share recipes and talk," Emily offered.

"Sure," I decided, "that would be nice. I'm always looking for new ways to cook fish," I added with a twist to my mouth.

As I headed home, I caught sight of a brown shape a time or two, keeping pace with my truck's progress on the road from the safety of the treeline. I sighed heavily. What a day. I wondered what my dreams might be like tonight. And how I would feel having my sleep watched over again. At the moment, it felt oddly comforting.

***

This chapter was tough to get going. I'm not as thrilled with it as I have been with some of the others, but I hope it is still worth your time.

I've added a poll to my profile page. I'd like to know who you think Embry's father would be. I don't know if it will come into play in this story or not, but I still want input regardless.


	9. Back to School

AN: Although I wish I did, I do not own Twilight or any part of it. Thank you again to all my reviewers for their comments and support.

For the second night in a row, I had a restful night's sleep. I decided that having someone watch over me was clearly helpful. Charlie was waiting for me in the kitchen when I went downstairs Monday morning to get something for breakfast. I should have known that he'd only wait so long before commenting on my obvious improvement.

"You seem to be sleeping better lately, Bells. Is being back with Jake helping?" Man, he was just like a bird doing going to point with that topic. His assumptions about that had always bugged me, and even more so now. I might not know what would end up happening with Jared, but I was simply going to have to quash this Jacob-fixation that Charlie had.

"Of course I'm happy we're friends again," I said neutrally.

"What was up with that, anyway?" Charlie wanted to know.

"A miscommunication, dad," I evaded giving specifics. "Like that telephone game. Things got garbled, but we got them figured out. I've enjoyed getting to know more of his friends the past couple days; seems like I only knew a couple before."

"And that stuff with Sam Uley?"

"I just took something the wrong way, that's all. Sam's actually really nice, and his fiancée is really sweet. In fact, she's going to stop by after school today. Emily's offered me some new recipes."

Charlie's eyebrows rose, but I wasn't sure if it was because I was finally having someone over again, or her bringing recipes. "I'm always on the lookout for new ways to cook fish"

Charlie couldn't seem to think of anything else easy to ask, so he got up and put his dishes in the sink before starting for the hallway. "Sounds good, Bells. I'll try not to be too late tonight."

"Be careful," I said.

"Always am," he offered his usual comment. "Have fun at school."

Fun. At school. Yeah.

***  
I ended up walking into the cafeteria for lunch beside Angela. I think she'd noticed my slightly improved attention-span today, but hadn't commented. That was one of the best things about her--she didn't pry. As we got our food, she seemed to come to some kind of decision. "Would you like to sit with Ben and I today, Bella?"

_Ben?_ The last I remembered, Angela had still been with Eric. I didn't have anything against Ben; in fact, I'd always appreciated that he had never bugged me the way that Mike and Tyler and Eric had. It was just another reminder of how out-of-it I'd been lately. I wavered for a moment, before remembering my new resolve to put the past behind me. "Sure, Angela, thanks." She seemed surprised but pleased that I'd accepted.

Ben likewise seemed surprised to see me sit down at their table, but greeted me pleasantly anyway.

"Did you have a good weekend, Bella?" Angela asked.

"Yeah, I actually did." I said, surprised myself to realize that it was true. Despite all the turmoil of all the revelations, I had actually had a good time for most of the past couple days. "Jake was finally feeling better, so I spent time down at La Push with him and some of his friends."

"Would we know any of them?" Ben asked.

I thought for a moment, unsure. "I think Sam and Jared, and Jacob of course, were both part of the group from the rez that met us during that beach trip last year," I finally said. "I'm not sure about Paul and Embry."

"Mike's talking about another beach trip when it gets a little warmer, so maybe we can get introduced then," Ben suggested.

I nodded. "Yeah, I could probably mention it to them."

***  
I hurried out of school at the end of the day, and waited impatiently for the line of cars to start clearing out. Emily hadn't said exactly what time she was going to arrive, and I didn't want her to have to wait on me. I ended up having enough time to put my stuff away in my room and give the downstairs a quick once-over before Emily rang the doorbell.

"Hi, Emily," I greeted her, standing back to let her come in.

"Thank you, Bella." She handed me a covered dish. "A good guest never comes empty handed," she explained. "If you like it, I brought the recipe along."

I took the dish and put it in the refrigerator. We settled in at the kitchen table, and she shuffled the stack of index cards she'd pulled out of her purse, though her thoughts appeared to be elsewhere. "Are you feeling any better about things, now that you've had a little more time to think?"

I stared at my clasped hands for a moment, then up into Emily's friendly black eyes. "I'm trying to," I told her. "It's like being on a rollercoaster. Sometimes I feel really good, and sometimes I don't. But I _am_ really trying to work through things now, and I wasn't before. I'm trying to be open to this, but I'm scared. I got pretty badly burned, and I'm not sure about getting close to the fire again."

She reached out, and placed her hand on top of mine. "Bella, that's one of the best things about the imprint. It moves at your speed. Jared will never push you farther than you want to go. He'll be right there beside you, helping to support you and keep you from falling."

I nodded, and we turned to the recipe cards. Emily was explaining the details of a smoked salmon recipe when we heard Charlie's key in the door. "Bells?" he called.

"In the kitchen," I called back. When he came in, I introduced him to Emily.

"I'm glad you were able to come and spend some time with Bella today," Charlie told her.

"It was my pleasure," Emily replied. "With all the young guys Sam has taken under his wing, I'm grateful for any chance to have some girl time. I hope we can get together again soon, Bella."

"Me too, Emily. Oh, before I forget, some of the kids from school are talking about another trip down to First Beach, like they did last year. Maybe the La Push kids could join us again."

She nodded. "Sounds good. I'll be sure to mention it to Sam. And speaking of: could I borrow your phone to call him for a ride?"

"Sure."

***

While waiting for Sam to arrive, Emily moved around the kitchen, helping me with my dinner preparations.

"Would you and Sam like to stay to eat?" I asked her.

"Thank you, Bella, but I think we'll have to pass this time," she answered. "We've got more of this at home—at least until the pack comes over—and Sam's got to get some things done tonight."

A knock on the door told of Sam's arrival, and Emily and I joined him and Charlie on the porch, "Did you two have a good time?" he asked, after giving Emily a kiss.

"Yes, we did," Emily replied.

"We'd best be going, then, love," Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They'd only gone a few steps before Sam paused and turned back to me. "Bella, we're having a bonfire and storytelling evening on Friday. Would you care to come down?" His face and tone didn't show it, but I somehow got the feeling that this was more than just a casual invitation. Something Jared had said the other day came back to me…_the wolf has always been a part of our tribal culture. Legends have us being descended from them. You'll have to come down the next time we have a bonfire and storytelling evening. It's really impressive to hear._ I realized I was truly curious about what kind of stories they told; stories that Jake, at least, hadn't believed until he'd actually turned into a wolf.

"Sounds like fun. I'd like to come. What time, and should I bring anything?" I could just tell that Charlie was gaping at me behind my back. I really couldn't blame him—I hadn't been this enthused about something in…months.

"We'll probably start setting up around six. And we'll take care of the food, so just bring yourself." Sam nodded, and I thought he might be pleased that I was coming.

I still had a whole week of school to get through, but at least I had something to look forward to at the end of it.

***

Jared POV

I'd ended up being more tired than I'd expected on Monday, much more so than I usually was after an all-night patrol. Maybe I'd been extra vigilant because it was Bella I was guarding now, instead of a mostly anonymous population.

I'd caught a bit of sleep when my history teacher decided to show a video during last period instead of lecturing. He'd almost caught me when the lights came on, would have if the girl sitting in front of me hadn't bumped my desk. As the class headed into the hallway, I caught up with her and tapped her shoulder. "Thanks," I said.

She turned and said, "No problem. You actually didn't miss much—it was pretty boring."

I racked my brain for her name. Kelly—Kay—Kim? Sounded right. "You're Kim, right?"

"Right," she seemed pleased that I knew that. Uh-oh. This could get sticky.

"Hey, Jared," I was saved when someone called my name. I turned to see Embry leaning against the nearby lockers.

"Hey," I echoed. I hadn't been expecting to see him until the meeting at Sam's later, but I wasn't going to complain. Remembering my manners, I said, "Embry, this is Kim, who saved me from getting caught napping today. Kim, this is my friend Embry." They exchanged glances, Kim's brief but friendly. Embry's, on the other hand…

I kept the two halve of my jaw together from sheer willpower. Had he really…? Yep, he had alright. _Maybe imprinting's not as rare as we thought,_ I pondered, _if two wolves can do it in the span of less than a week._

"See you later, right?" I asked Embry, but I might as well have been talking to the wall for all the attention he paid me. I escaped, unnoticed to my locker and then outside, where I started laughing as I headed for the woods.

_Sam?_ I mentally called after phasing.

_Jared? What's up?_ He answered immediately.

_Everything okay?_ I wanted to know.

_All quiet_, he told me. _No signs of anything._ I could tell that it bothered him as much as it did me. 'Nothing' was good in the sense that it meant the leech hadn't come back; it was bad in the sense that we currently had no idea of what she _was_ doing.

_What's up?_ Sam asked again. _You aren't on duty today._

_Embry imprinted_, I told him, my amusement reappearing.

_What?_

_Yep_, I snorted. _On a girl from my history class. Name's Kim._

_What's she like?_ He wanted to know.

_Not really sure._ I admitted. _I don't know her very well. Pretty quiet and shy, I think, but nice too._ I related what had happened in class before Embry's imprint.

_There'll be a lot to talk about at tonight's meeting, won't there? _Sam reflected.

_Yeah, it ought to be interesting, _I agreed. Then, _You know, Sam, with two new imprints…_

_I know,_ he agreed. _Once Paul and Jacob come on, I'll phase back and talk to the other elders. We ought to schedule another bonfire._

_Weather's supposed to be clear on Friday, _I offered. Nice weather was something of a rarity in Washington state at any time, but especially at this time of year, and I couldn't wait for Bella to hear our stories.

_Thanks. Now get home and get some more rest,_ he directed.

As I headed home, I had to shake my head in amusement. No one could ever accuse us of having boring lives.

***

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This little Jared bit just popped onto the page and I couldn't help running with it. Ended up being a little more than I expected, and I've no clue where it might lead, but its fun and I guess we'll find out together. Next chapter should be up sometime next week, unless my muse throws me a curveball. The next month is going to be really crazy for me with grad school, but my goal is to keep to a weekly update. Things will lighten up by the end of March.

If you haven't already done so, I'd appreciate votes on my profile poll, on Embry's father, since it now seems he'll have a role to play in this story. If there's interest, and I'm inspired, I might do a prequel once I'm done with this story that looks into the events before Embry's birth.


	10. Explanations

AN: Although I wish I did, I unfortunately don't own Twilight.

I circled Bella's house Monday night too. I alternated my attention between the house and the woods. All quiet, aside from the normal sounds of life. Reassured, I thought back to the pack meeting earlier in the evening.

(flashback)

"What happened?" Embry demanded of us, me and Sam in particular.

"You imprinted," I told him. "Congrats."

"She—I—" Embry spluttered.

"She's a she and you're a he. What's the problem?" Paul was in full form. For a second, I thought Embry would go after him as a convenient target.

"I'm only 16" he groaned. "And she's…," he looked at me in question.

"18, I think," though I honestly wasn't sure. But she was a senior like me, so I was probably right. I could see his point. Embry was the youngest of us to imprint so far, and the only one younger than his imprint. Okay, so Bella was a couple months older than me, but two months was nothing compared to two years. And it was another reason why she and Jake wouldn't have worked out. But—if I thought that, then were Embry and Kim similarly doomed? No, of course not, I decided. The imprint would bring them together. And being the Good Samaritan that I was, I volunteered to help bring them together.

(end flashback)

Shortly before dawn, Sam arrived to take over, so that I could get a little sleep before school.

_Take tonight off, Jared_, he told me. _You can't keep pulling all-nighters without it catching up with you._

_I don't know,_ I tried to object, but Sam overruled me. _Get some sleep tonight._

***

In history on Tuesday, I was already in my seat when Kim walked into the classroom. As she settled into her desk, she casually dropped a note onto mine.

**Meet me after school. I want some answers.**

I nodded, and stuffed the note into my pocket. After school, I led her onto the grounds, over to a grouping of picnic tables.

"So what was the deal with your friend yesterday?" she blurted out once we were settled. "He was staring at me like…" words failed her.

"Like you were the most important person—the only person—in the world to him." I answered.

"Why? I never met him before then."

"What do you remember about our tribal legends?" I asked.

She frowned, not understanding how this related. "We supposedly descend from wolves, and they're said to protect our tribe," she finally answered.

"The legends are true," Embry said from beside her. Kim jumped, not having seen and heard him approach, the way I had.

"What?" she gasped.

"We _are_ descended from wolves, and we _do_ protect the tribe."

"We?" Kim looked between us.

"We," I confirmed.

"No way, no way. I've got to be dreaming; this can't be real." She was shaking her head, as if trying to make her world resume its previous shape.

"Embry?" I inclined my head toward the treeline. He nodded, and headed that way. I gave him a minute, then pulled Kim to her feet to follow.

"Where are we going?" she wanted to know.

"You don't seem to believe us, so we're giving you proof." I replied.

Once we were concealed from the school, Embry reappeared from behind a tree. Kim gasped. "That can't be—"

"Yes, it can. Hey, Embry." He yipped at us.

"It's _real?_" she whispered.

"It's real," I confirmed.

We headed back to the picnic table so that Embry could phase and get dressed. Kim sat down heavily on the bench. Embry rejoined us and sat on the bench beside her.

"Okay," she expelled a long breath. "So some members of the tribe are wolves. What does that have to do with me?"

"It's said that sometimes a wolf will meet a girl who is perfect for him, like his soul-mate. And a connection will instantly form between them, an imprint," Embry explained.

"And I'm yours?" she asked, dubiously. He nodded carefully.

"But I don't even know you!"

"We can start. It's not like there's a timetable for when things happen," he tried to assure her. "I mean, Sam met Emily two years ago, and they're not married yet." Her eyes widened at the casual revelation of another tribe member's alternate identity.

"But that always happens? Marriage?" Kim seemed to be freaking a little.

"Only if that's what you want!" Embry rushed on. "It's all about you and what makes you happy."

"I know this is a little weird, and a lot to take in," I told her, trying to calm things down a little, "but I understand how you both are feeling. I just imprinted a few days ago myself."

She looked curious. "Who?"

"A girl from Forks: Bella Swan."

"How does she feel about…?" Kim gestured vaguely.

"She sort-of already knew about the wolf part, and we're working on the imprint part." I told her. "She's just getting over a bad break-up, so I'm not going to rush her with anything. I'm not going to do anything that might hurt her."

"So this is all good?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Can I meet Bella?"

"Sure," I agreed. I was coming to think that they would probably get along great.

"We're having a bonfire and stories on Friday night," Embry told her. "We have one every time we get a new brother; and now when one of us finds his imprint, since they get to know everything. It'll be your and Bella's first time."

"Jake's too," I reminded him. "At least, the first time knowing that the stories are true."

"Jake? Jacob Black?"

We nodded.

"And does he have…?"

"No, it's just us two and Sam who've imprinted so far," Embry clarified. "Neither Jacob or Paul has yet."

I glanced up at the sky to judge the time. I'd gotten out of the habit of wearing a watch since I'd become a wolf—too expensive to replace regularly, plus very hard to tear off when phasing in a hurry.

"I've got to run," I told them. "Kim, I know this is a lot for you to deal with, but I hope you'll try to get to know Embry and to look at all this with an open mind."

***

When I got home, I worked on homework, helped my parents with dinner, and annoyed my twin 13-year-old siblings, Andrew and Savannah. After trouncing everyone in a game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit ®, I made it an early night. Sam had been right, I admitted. Three straight night patrols had worn me out.

I jolted awake from a nightmare I couldn't remember, and reflexively glanced over at my alarm clock. 1:21 am. I turned over and tried to will myself back to sleep, but almost immediately I threw back the sheet and was on my feet. Far in the distance, an imperative howl echoed. I quietly eased open my bedroom window and slipped outside. I stripped and phased, then cast out for the originator of the call.

_Jared! Thank goodness you heard me. _It was Jake, sounding very relieved.

_What's wrong?_

_You've gotta get over here, man._ Jake was on Bella-patrol tonight.

_What is it?_ I asked urgently, already at a run, my body having begun to propel itself forward without my knowing it.

_Bella's having a nightmare—a bad one._

I was surprised. I'd known, abstractly, that she'd been having them before, but the past few nights had been so quiet that I'd thought she was past them. Apparently, I'd been wrong.

_She sorta woke up a bit ago, and just started screaming. Bloodcurdling screams. Charlie came in for a minute, but he's back in bed now._

_And Bella?_ I asked him.

_She's quiet again, but I'm not sure if she's asleep._

I slowed to a walk as I neared the edge of the Swans' yard, and stopped beside Jake. We looked at each other, both at a loss.

_Whatcha gonna do?_ He asked me.

_Don't know, beyond staying here. She didn't do this when I was here the last few nights._ I felt a bit better having decided that, but not well enough. _How do you think she'd react if I…?_

He figured out what I mean when I indicated her window. _Not sure. Guess you can find out._

I phased and donned my sweatpants, pausing to collect a few small rocks from the ground before approaching the house. I tossed one up against her window, taking care not to damage the glass. Just after a second went aloft, her face was at the window. She raised it and leaned out.

"Jared?" she asked, a bit uncertainly.

"Yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

"Jake called me when you had your nightmare." Her face was confused. Jake briefly edged out of the trees enough for her to see him, and then retreated.

"Oh." I guessed she remembered what I'd said about our mental links as wolves.

"Are you okay? I can stay if you want; it seemed to help the last few nights," I offered.

"You were here every night since Saturday?" I nodded, even though she might not be able to see it. Her response was to raise the window all the way and move back into her room. In a series of jumps, I scaled up the tree and inside the house.

When I looked up, she was sitting on the end of her bed, looking back at me.

"You ran all the way over here, just because I had a nightmare?" She seemed to find that hard to believe.

I nodded. "I meant what I said, Bella. I'm always going to be here for you, and not just when things are going fine." Her eyes teared up, and she blinked them away.

"Have you been doing okay, with so little sleep?" she asked me.

"Not too bad. Almost—no, I actually did fall asleep in class yesterday, but one of the girls woke me up before the teacher noticed." I saw her eyes narrow slightly. "Don't worry—oh, you might find this interesting—a few minutes later, Embry imprinted on her.

"What?" she mouthed.

"Yeah. No one saw that coming. Her name's Kim."

"Do you know her?" Bella asked.

"Not really. I mean, she's been in some of my classes over the years, but I only know _of_ her." Bella seemed reassured by my lack of knowledge. "She wants to meet you."

"She does?"

"Uh-huh. Shared experience and all that."

"When?"

"She'll be at the bonfire on Friday, so you'll probably have some time to chat."

"How has everyone taken this? I didn't think imprinting was supposed to be this common."

"We didn't think so either. Maybe we were wrong." Of course, that wasn't the only time we'd been mistaken about Embry. My face must have shown something of my thoughts, because Bella noticed.

"What is it?" She would never cease to amaze me. Here I'd come over to comfort her, and she was trying to do that for me.

"It's just that Embry's a…sensitive subject sometimes."

"Why? I've always thought he was nice; certainly better than Paul." She grinned, and I had to grin back.

"It's not that; you're right, he is nice. We're just not sure why he joined the pack."

She settled back against her pillows, and patted the bed beside her, obviously inviting me to join her. After a miniscule hesitation, I did, though I made sure not to settle too close to her.

"So why would people have been surprised when Embry joined the pack? He's about the right age, isn't he?" Bella inquired, offering me a starting point.

"We didn't think he was Quileute. His mom moved down here 17 years ago, when she was pregnant with him."

"So if he wasn't Quileute, what did everyone think he was?"

"His mom was from the Makah Reservation, up north; Emily's from there too. Everyone assumed that her baby's father was also Makah, and that she'd left him up there."

"But because he phased, you know that can't be true?" Clever Bella. I turned my head toward her.

"Right. Only Quileute's can phase, so if he can, then one of his parents has to be part of the tribe. We know his mother isn't, so it has to be his father."

"Who is it?"

I shrugged. This was the awkward and uncomfortable part. "We don't know, not for sure."

Bella likewise shifted in bed, turning on her side to face me. "Any suspicions?"

"Based on age and timing, the elders figure there were three Quileute men who could have fathered him."

She tilted her head. "And they haven't taken it further?"

I shook my own head. "It's who—and what—they are that makes this delicate. You see, Bella, the three it could have been were all married at the time Embry was conceived, two had pregnant wives just then, and one's an elder now."

Bella and I both propped an elbow under our heads. She reached out with her other hand and laid it gently on my arm. "Who were they?" she whispered.

"Joshua Uley, Quil Ateara, or Billy Black," I whispered in return. Her hand fell away and she dropped back onto her pillow.

"Billy?" I knew he'd been one of her dad's friends for her whole life, so I could understand her shock; in fact, we all shared it.

"It's kind of a catch-22. We want to know, and yet we don't. No one wants to know which man betrayed his wife, and fathered a child he never claimed."

"Sam, Quil, Jacob…one of them has a brother?"

"Yeah."

"Even though I can understand not wanting that kind of knowledge for themselves, how can they deny it to Embry? Doesn't he deserve to know who his family really is?" her concern for Embry was real, and I had a feeling he'd be grateful for her support. Objectively, I agreed with her; he did deserve to know the truth. But I could also understand why no one was pushing the issue.

"We honestly try not to think about it, but if we do, we honestly hope that it was Joshua; Sam's dad wasn't around much and wasn't really a father to him, either. Quil's dad died a few years ago; the one who'd be most hurt by the truth would probably be Billy, since he's still alive and here."

She clearly wasn't satisfied; neither was I, but we couldn't solve the problem right now. I looked at her clock and saw that it was almost 2:30.

"I ought to let you get some sleep," I said, regretfully. I was grateful for this chance to spend some time talking with her, regardless of the circumstances. As I moved to shift off the bed, her hand reached out again to grab my arm.

"Please, don't leave me. I've slept better in the last few nights than I have in months, and you were here, when you weren't before. Stay, please."

I stopped moving. Wild horses couldn't drag me out of this room if she wanted me to stay. "Would you like me to move to the chair?"

She shook her head. "No." More quietly, "Stay right here?"

"Sure. I'll stay until you wake up, then I'll have to run home."

"Thank you," she whispered. As she settled back into bed, I gently tucked the sheet around her, and got myself comfortable. Just before I drifted off, I felt her hand carefully insert itself into mine. I cradled it lightly, and succumbed to sleep.

***

I know I said that the bonfire would be in this chapter, but my muse decided that this stuff needed to come first. The chapter literally wrote itself today; I hope you've enjoyed it. I think I can promise the bonfire for next chapter, but if it doesn't happen then I'll stop making predictions. As always, I welcome thoughts, comments, and suggestions.

Time's almost gone to vote in the Embry's father poll on my profile. If you haven't contributed yet, please let me know your thoughts before I get there in my writing. I'll try for another chapter this week, if my schoolwork allows.


	11. Study Buddy

AN: Yada yada, I don't own Twilight. 'Nuff said. Although, in 18 more days, I will own the New Moon DVD.

Jared POV

I was rudely dragged from a very enjoyable dream by the incessant blaring of the alarm. I blindly reached an arm over to hit the snooze, only to realize that I wasn't hitting anything. As I tried to shake myself awake enough to find it, I realized several things. First, the bed was smaller than it should be, and I was in danger of falling off. Second, the alarm didn't sound right. And third...I jerked upright as I remembered that I wasn't in my own room--I was in Bella's.

The combination of the noise and my movement was enough to wake Bella. She jolted up and started slapping the alarm until it stopped. She blushed bright red as she realized I was still there, but didn't move. Her eyes lifted shyly to mine. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome," I replied, feeling bold enough to reach over and tuck her hair behind her ear. My hand brushed against her cheek as I did so. My heart went into overdrive when her face leaned into my touch.

We sat there for a few minutes without moving, except for my fingers stroking the side of her face. The magical spell we were under was broken when there was a knock on Bella's door.

"You up, Bells?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," she called breathlessly, as she scrambled out of bed. "Just a slow start today." Her eyes looked at me in panic. Being caught in her bedroom by her father wouldn't be good for either of us.

"Will you come back?" she asked me, as she started grabbing toiletries and clothes.

"Of course. I'll come back tonight if you want me to." I promised.

She nodded, whispered "thank you" again, and slipped out of her room. I listened at the door to hear her call goodbye to her dad as he left for work, then headed to the window to make my own exit. I jumped down easily and phased to make the run back to La Push. If I was lucky, I could slip back in the house with no one the wiser. Luck _wasn't_ with me, though. Mom caught me the moment I slipped through the back door.

"Where have you been?" she queried.

_Crap._ How was I going to talk my way out of this one? Bella, Sam, the pack—everyone was depending on me, and that meant I had to keep my parents from getting suspicious about my activities.

"Sorry, mom. I didn't mean to worry you. I just woke up early and went for a run. I should have left a note. I'm sorry I didn't." Better to lay it on thick than thin.

"You also forgot to turn your alarm off," she smiled and patted my shoulder. I wondered if she would have tousled my hair if I'd had enough of it—and if she could reach that high.

***

Bella POV

I sat with Angela and Ben during lunch again on Wednesday. Ben was teasing Angela about some prank that her little twin brothers had pulled. It actually did sound pretty funny and I smiled at the sight it must have been. Angela noticed. "It's nice to see your smile again."

"I guess I have been out of it for a while," I admitted.

She glanced at Ben, and he stood to take their trays over to the trashcans. "Are you looking forward to graduation and getting out of Forks?" Ah, the indirect approach.

"I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm actually amazed that I _will_ be graduating. I haven't really been paying all that much attention to school this year." I also wasn't sure how this imprint thing would impact my post-graduation choices either. I rather thought that Jared would need to stay around here for pack reasons. I wasn't too worried either way; it's not like college was ever high on my list of priorities.

"Is your friend from La Push helping?"

I hesitated, not sure what, if anything I wanted to say at all, much less here in full view of Forks High. She seemed to understand, and by unspoken consent we got up and headed outside.

"Jake helped a lot, but he could only do so much. He was…starting to expect…" I trailed off.

"Too much?" Angela offered.

"Yeah. But now…" I paused, and Angela said nothing, willing to listen but not pushing. "There's a guy down there; one of Jake's friends…and he's helping…"

"That's nice of him. Do you mind if I ask which friend?"

"Jared."

"Do you think he might become a good friend, or more, to you?" Angela asked.

"Maybe. He's really nice, and supportive, but…I'm scared, Angela." I admitted, suddenly wanting her advice. "He's, well, he's amazing, but…"

"It can be hard to trust again after being hurt," she agreed. "But, shouldn't he be judged on his own merits, and not by the actions of others?"

"Yes, of course, and I know it's not rational," I told her.

"But emotions are the least rational things around, Bella," Angela replied. "Maybe what you need is to _be _irrational. If this Jared makes you happy now, isn't that the important thing?"

I stared off into space, thinking about what she'd just said. I couldn't go back, but I could choose to go forward. I might have truly known him for less than a week, but Jared had never let me down; had been there for me even when I didn't know it. Didn't I deserve, didn't he deserve, didn't _we_ deserve to see what might come next?

I turned back to Angela and gave her a true smile. "Thank you. You're right."

"You're welcome," she said, and we walked to our next classes.

***

On the drive home, I tried to come up with some reason to see Jared before Friday. Consideration of my calculus homework gave me an idea.

"Emily?" I asked, when she answered the phone.

"Bella? How are you?" Emily replied.

"I'm pretty good," I told her, a little surprised by how true that was. "I've got a favor to ask."

"Whatever I can do to help," she promised.

"Do you know if Jared's good at math?"

If Emily was surprised by my question, she didn't act like it. "Yes, I think so. Would I be intruding to ask why you wondered?"

"Well, do you know he's been coming by my house at night?"

"Sam mentioned Jared was patrolling there," she confirmed.

"Well, I had a nightmare last night, and he came over, and ended up staying the night so that I could sleep." I confessed.

"Really?" no doubt that she wasn't expecting that one.

"Yeah. It really helped, and he said he'll come back if I need him. It's just that sleeping doesn't give us the chance to get to know each other better. I thought tutoring might be a parentally acceptable means to the end." I paused. "I bet that sounded so ridiculous."

"No, it didn't." she denied. "Just a moment, and I'll get you his number. Oh, wait, he just walked in." I heard a murmur in the background, and then Jared's voice came on the line.

"Bella?"

"Hi, Jared." I probably sounded like a girl talking to her first crush. How embarrassing.

"What's up?"

"Well, I've got a lot of Calculus homework, and math's not my strong point. Emily thought you might know enough to, well, tutor me?" I made it into a question.

"Sure, I can do that," his voice sounded almost excited, and I wondered if my excuse to see him had really been that transparent. If it had, I decided that it didn't matter. "When would you like to start?"

"Are you busy tonight?" I asked. "I can offer you dinner, if that's an inducement."

"I'm never one to turn down food," he chuckled. "Just let me call home and let my parents know, and I'll be there as soon as I can."

***

Jared POV

I hung up the phone, breathed "yes", and spun for the door. Embry was in my way, Sam and Emily off to the side, and everyone was grinning at me. I guess I couldn't blame them; my expression was probably goofy.

"Just you wait," I told Embry as I shoved him out of my way, "until Kim asks _you _for something. I'll be happy to laugh at how quickly you jump to do it."

When I got to my car, I realized I'd forgotten to call home. I decided to just stop there on my way to Bella's. I could grab my Calculus notes while I was at it.

At home, I shut my door with a slam, and raced for the house.

"What's your hurry?" Drew called as I passed him.

"Going to go tutor someone for a while this evening. I'll eat there, so no need to hold dinner on me. Tell the folks, would you? Thanks." I was gone without giving him the chance to answer.

Bella's dad was still on duty, so I made sure to obey the posted speed limit, despite my desire to push the gas pedal down to the floor.

She must have been watching for me, because she opened the door as soon as I pulled into the driveway.

"Thanks for coming," she told me.

I smiled. Would she ever stop thanking me for things? And would I ever want her to? "No problem. Math's my thing, so let me at it."

"We settled in at the kitchen table, and she showed me the problems she needed to work on. We'd been working well for a while, and enjoying ourselves, when we came to a problem involving use of the velocity equation to determine a bear's hunting motion. Bella, who'd been laughing until I read the problem, grew quiet.

I put down the book. "What is it?"

She looked up, and I could tell that she was trying to put a brave face on it. "It just reminded me…bear was Emmett's favorite to hunt." With great effort, I controlled any reaction I might have given. This was the first time, other than telling us about them, that Bella had mentioned any of the Cullens.

"I guess it would have been a challenge." I said.

"He never forgave one for killing him, and I think he really enjoyed making others pay for it."

"Only fair."

Bella took a quick break from working to put the fish she'd been marinating into the oven, and three potatoes into the microwave. We'd just wrapped up the last problem when Charlie Swan got home.

"Bells? We got company?" he called.

"In the kitchen, dad." When he came in, he was clearly surprised to see me.

"Hi, Chief Swan," I greeted him. "I'm Jared Mahan."

"Yeah, I remember. You gave Bella rides over the weekend."

"That's right. I've just been helping Bella with Calculus today." I gestured to the table, which was still covered in school stuff.

"Needed help, Bella?" Charlie asked.

"You know math's not my thing, dad." She told him. "I was talking to Emily, and she mentioned Jared, so I called him and he offered to help. I invited him to stay for dinner."

"Nice of you," he told me.

"It was my pleasure, sir," I replied. He headed upstairs to change out of his uniform while Bella finished the last dinner preparations and I cleared and set the table.

Bella was an amazing cook, easily Emily's equal. I could see her being imposed upon as soon as the rest of the pack found out.

After we were done, Bella got up to start cleaning the dishes and kitchen, and Charlie headed into the living room to check to sports scores.

"You can join him; I'll try not to be too long," Bella told me.

"What if I _want_ to help?" I countered, picking up a towel to dry the dishes she'd washed. "After all, I came over to spend time with you, not your dad." She blushed.

"I've had a good time today, Jared. Th—" she stopped when I playfully flicked her with the towel.

"Bella, you don't have to thank me for this. You'll probably get sick of it after a while."

"So you'd like to come again?" she teased.

"Keep feeding me like you did tonight, and I'm your slave for life; until graduation for sure," I vowed.

"You know, Jake offered me life-long servitude, and I turned it down. I'd better think carefully about this offer; wouldn't want it to go to waste."

My breathing quickened; there was more to what she was saying than just the words. I looked deeply into her eyes. "Whatever you want."

Once things were clean, I knew I'd have to leave. I really needed to put in an appearance at home, before sneaking out to come back here.

"Are you coming back later?" she whispered before we left the kitchen. I nodded.

"As soon as everyone's asleep. Leave your window part-way open, so I don't have to throw rocks tonight."

***

When I got home, mom was waiting with a loving inquisition.

"Drew said you went to tutor someone. Who was it?"

_Here we go,_ I thought. "Bella Swan." I admitted.

Mom's brows rose. "The same girl?"

"Yeah. She needed some help with Calculus. We got a lot done, and had a good time too."

"Are you hoping something will develop between you?"

"I think it might, mom. She's…special. I haven't forgotten what you said before, and I'm not pushing, I promise. I think she's ready to start over, and I'm hoping it's with me."

My mom came over to where I was sitting, and touched my cheek. "I'm sure she is special, sweetie. Do you think I could meet her sometime, or would _that_ be rushing things?"

I considered. "Well, she is coming down for the bonfire on Friday."

"If it works out then, that's fine. If not, I'm sure something could be arranged."

***

Bella POV

Even though I tried, I wasn't able to make it upstairs before Charlie caught me.

"Seems like you had a good time today," he observed.

"I guess so. Jared was really nice to come and help me study."

"He seems to be a good guy. What does Jake think of him?"

"They're friends. Jake actually introduced us. I guess I'll need to thank him for that." I was really hoping that Charlie would let this subject die soon.

"You think…" he trailed off, realizing he was veering into dangerous waters.

"I don't know, dad. He's a good guy, so if it happened…" I took advantage of his silence, and escaped. I needed to get ready for bed so I didn't keep Jared waiting.

***

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I probably shouldn't have this one ready yet, but it wouldn't let me go until I got it typed. Now, I really do have to put in some school time. More than likely, I will have another chapter done this week. I _think_ that we'll finally get to the bonfire next time. **I meant to have this up last night, but it wouldn't upload. I hope it's worth the extra wait.

The calculus problem referred to is one that I found online at www(dot)calculus-help(dot)com/probs2002/5problem15(dot)html


	12. Decision

AN: Don't own Twilight; wish I did.

Churned this out tonight and tried to talk myself out of posting two chapters in one day; lucky for my readers, I wasn't persuasive enough. This one is shorter than usual, but I just couldn't see trying to stretch it out more. I hope you enjoy it.

Bella POV

Thursday passed much like Wednesday had. I told Angela about Jared's math help, and she looked pretty excited about it.

"He's definitely something, Bella," she sighed. "I can't wait to meet him."

It didn't take as long today to do my homework, so we had plenty of time to chat before dinner. Most of it was casual "get-to-know-you" type of stuff, and I filed away his favorite color (green), food (anything, but especially calzones), and band (Death Cab for Cutie) for future reference. As I shared in return, I noticed that the occasional mentions of the Cullens that I made didn't hurt the way they once had. _Well, they say 'time heals all wounds', but maybe that's just Jared._

As I scrambled to get ready for bed between his visits, I wished anew that I'd brought my nice pajamas with me from Phoenix. Failing them, I dug through the dresser drawer looking for something a bit nicer than my raggedy t-shirt and lounge pants. I froze when my fingers swept across something soft and silky. _Can't be. I'm imagining things._ I grasped hold of the item in question, and pulled it out into view. My mouth dropped open. It _was_ my silky 17th birthday pajama set from Renee. How in the world? As I pulled the garments out of the drawer, I heard a crinkling sound come from the pants pocket.

**Bella, I'm not sure when or why you will wear these; I only saw myself bringing them back from Phoenix for you. Enjoy. Alice**

I gasped with pain at the sight of her spiky handwriting. Why had she done this? How could she not have seen how this note would affect me? I sank to the floor and just sat there, clutching the pajamas to my chest. After a few minutes, I got resolutely to my feet. _You wished for these pajamas, Bella,_ I told myself. _Just be grateful that you've got them, and get changed already._ I hurried to the bathroom, changed, and quickly brushed my teeth and hair and washed my face.

I had only just settled onto my bed with my copy of _Wuthering Heights_, which I had decided to try reading again, when I heard a noise at the window. I turned my head to see Jared propel himself through the open window.

Jared POV

I couldn't help smiling as I landed on her bedroom floor and saw Bella waiting for me on the bed like she had been the past two nights. A book was laying beside her, and she...I gulped. She was wearing new pajamas, light silky green.

"You look...nice," I managed.

"Birthday gift from my mom before I left Phoenix."

Following our usual pattern (if two nights and counting could be called a pattern yet), we lay facing each other on her bed, a bit closer than before. I was thrilled with every baby step we seemed to be taking, and had to constantly remind myself not to move too fast. When we were settling down to sleep, Bella turned over, so she was facing away from me. My eyes bugged out, and I frantically tried to think of what I had just said or done that had bothered her. I forgot all about that when she moved some more, until she was nestled in the curve of my body.

_Jared,_ I told myself, _you are in __**big**__ trouble._ I lay very still, absorbing the situation. Yep, my body was telling me that I was definitely in trouble.

Bella could tell that something was up. "Jared?" she whispered, "do you not want me to sleep like this?"

Oh, no, she was _not_ going to blame herself. "Bella, I _do_ like the idea of you sleeping this way; that's the problem. I like it a lot more than I should." And if she moved any closer to me, she would find out exactly _how much_ I liked it.

I just knew that she had to be blushing again, and I thought I could feel the heightened heat of her skin. But I wasn't expecting her soft giggle. I nudged her, wanting an explanation.

"Does it bother you, that I affect you this way?" she asked.

"Does it bother _you_ that you affect me this way?" I countered.

"It probably should," Bella admitted, "but honestly, I think I like it—more than _I_ should."

I groaned softly, and shifted on the bed so that I was laying on my back. "Bella, don't you know that you shouldn't say that to a hot-blooded 18-year-old male?"

"Really?" she queried, as she also shifted, until her head was resting on my shoulder and her body cradled my arm. She didn't sound scared; if anything, she seemed…intrigued. "Well, you _are_ hot."

"Bella," I pleaded, "can we _please_ go to sleep, before I forget my good intentions where you've concerned?"

She brought her right arm up to lay across my stomach. "Okay. I promise to stop teasing…for now," she told me, the last two words breathed rather than spoken.

_This is going to be a __**long**__ night__**,**_ I thought. I lay awake for a while, praying that I would find a way to live up to the trust she was offering me.

***

Bella POV

I woke up before dawn, well before my alarm today, toasty-warm from the body I was partly draped over. I knew I should probably be embarrassed; after all, my dad's room was across the hall, and I'd known Jared less than a week. But…I wasn't. It felt…right.

Jared's shirt had bunched up a little during the night and part of his six-pack of sculpted abs was visible below my arm. Slowly and carefully, I moved my arm until my fingers could lightly touch his stomach. Smooth, soft, warm…mine. I traced each muscle, every contour of his skin.

"Somebody likes living dangerously," Jared's sleep-roughened voice observed.

"I guess you're right," I agreed. "After all, I did convince Jake to rebuild a couple of motorcycles." I glanced up at him from under my lashes, but didn't stop stroking. "How much danger am I in?"

"How much do you want?" he asked me, his dark eyes intense.

I stilled my fingers and shifted so I was propped on my left elbow. "Let me see." Then, before he could move, I leaned up and forward and lightly touched my lips to his.

It was probably inevitable that I would try to compare this kiss to the ones that came before. But it was impossible to compare Jared to Edward. I would never have been able to do this with Edward—control was too important with him. I had never felt like I was an equal in that relationship. Everything had revolved around what he judged safe or appropriate. I had never been put first with him the way I was with Jared. Every moment since I'd met him had been all about me: he'd fought one of his friends, his pack brother; he'd guarded me, going without sleep; he'd given answers to every single question I'd ever asked. So much was swirling in my mind that I finally just stopped thinking; stopped thinking, and only felt.

Jared's lips were warm and supple, molding against mine. What I'd meant as a brief encounter, now lingered. His hand came up to brace my upper arm, taking some of my weight but not trying to pull me closer; more proof that he was keeping his promise to put me first and not push things too far too fast. Something swelled within my chest, filling the hole that had been there for the past six months. Realizing that I needed to breathe, I pulled back, just a little. He looked up at me, his black eyes warm and caring. "Bella," he breathed. I could feel myself starting to tremble. Looking down at him, I knew…"I love you."

***

Last time I'll make this promise: the bonfire is coming. Come hell or high water, Jared and Bella will physically be at the bonfire by the end of the next chapter


	13. Introductions

AN: I don't own Twilight, and the only profit I am making from this story is my own pleasure from writing it and the supportive enthusiasm of my readers and reviewers. Let me know what you think.

Jared POV

I swear my heart simply stopped beating when I heard Bella, my sweet, wonderful, amazing, beautiful Bella say those three words to me for the first time. I rolled us back until we were on our sides, and brought my hands up to frame her face. "And _I _love _you_," I told her, "always."

And slowly, I leaned forward to kiss her back. It was almost as if I'd died and gone to heaven. Absolutely amazing perfection. Her lips were warm and moist, and they parted slightly under mine allowing me the faint minty scent of her toothpaste. As I lightly traced her lips with the tip of my tongue, she gave a faint moaning sigh that ran straight through me. I deepened the kiss and felt her arm come up around my neck, pulling me closer as she leaned back. In a moment, our initial positions were reversed and I was leaning over her.

I couldn't begin to guess how long we lay like that--hands, lips and tongues exploring. The blaring of the alarm brought us out of our intoxicated haze with a jolt. I flopped over on the bed, breathing heavily, as Bella scrambled for the clock.

The room silent once more, Bella slid down beside me again and rested her head on my shoulder as she had done last night.

"I don't want this to end," she confessed.

"I'll see you this evening, and tonight, and tomorrow…" she playfully slapped my stomach to stop me. "Okay," I said, more seriously now, "I know what you mean. I don't want to move either, but we'll have to." Even so, I didn't get up, but instead brought my arms around her to keep her close.

"It'll be almost 12 hours before I see you again," she sighed. "That's…"

"…too long," I finished. "What if…"

"What?" she asked.

"What if you come down right after school? I don't want you to feel pressured, but my mom did ask about meeting you sometime. Or if you'd rather, I know that Kim really can't wait for a chance to talk with you."

Bella shifted a little, so that she could see my face. "What if you pick me up _at_ school?" she countered. "Angela wants to meet _you_. Plus, it would give you the excuse of needing to drive me home afterwards."

"I love the way you think," I grinned. "And the way you talk, and move…I just love you, period."

"I love you, too."

"So how are you going to arrange things on your end?" I wondered.

"I'll tell Charlie that we decided last night that you'd pick me up this afternoon. I'm sure I can get a ride to school with Angela. No problem." Boy, was she smug.

***

Bella POV

"I will see you right after school," he promised. "I…will…miss…you…every…moment…until…then." Jared paused between each word to drop a kiss on my lips, my cheeks, temples, forehead, eyelids. With one last long kiss to my mouth, he dragged himself off the bed and over to the window. After a last grin over his shoulder, he dropped over the edge and was gone.

My head fell back onto my pillow; I felt totally boneless. "Wow," I whispered. My heart was still pounding madly, and I took in several long, slow breaths to try and calm myself. After a few minutes, I rolled out of bed and started getting around. Before heading downstairs, I pulled out my cell and called Angela.

"Hello?" she said.

"Angela, it's Bella."

"Oh, hi, Bella. What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could ask a favor. Could you give me a ride to school today?"

"Of course. Is your truck acting up again?"

"No, it's running okay right now," I told her. "I just don't want to drive in today."

"Okay, Bella, spill." Angela demanded.

For some reason, she was reminding me of Alice right now. "I'm going to La Push this evening for a bonfire and night of stories."

"With…Jared, maybe?" she hinted.

"Yeah," I exhaled. "He's going to pick me up right after school, so I don't need my truck to get home."

"If I give you a ride, can I meet him?"

"Sure," I laughed.

"I'll be at your house half an hour before school then. Bye." Angela told me.

"Bye."

***

When I went downstairs, Charlie was nursing a cup of coffee and reading the sports section. "Still going to the bonfire at the rez tonight?" he asked me.

"Yes, I'm still going." I answered. "In fact, Jared invited me to come down early; there are some people he'd like me to meet beforehand."

"Who?"

"Dad!"

"Just doing my job, Bells." Charlie looked a little embarrassed, but resolute.

"His mom and a few friends from school."

"Okay. Are you driving down after school?"

"He offered to pick me up from school, and Angela's giving me a lift this morning, so I'm all set. Jared will drive me home when it's over."

Charlie gave me a long look. "Seems like you two are getting pretty close."

I blushed. "I guess we are. He's really nice, and special."

"I'm glad, Bells, I really am."

"Thanks, dad."

By the end of the day, I was tingling with anticipation. _Just a few more minutes…_

***

Angela POV

As we walked toward the parking lot, I had to work at it not to stare at Bella. I'd known her for a little over a year now, and I'd never seen her this excited. Her eyes were sparkling like a kid's on Christmas Day.

As soon as we got to the sidewalk, I saw him. Jared. A tall, dark, muscular Native American guy leaning against the side of a black compact car. His gaze was turned in our direction, and I saw his eyes fix just to my right, where Bella was. He pushed off the car and started moving toward us. As soon as Bella saw him, she dropped her backpack and started hurrying his way. His arms opened and she jumped into them. Bella's legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms around his neck.

I felt someone come up beside me, but my attention was focused on the couple in front of me. Jared's mouth had claimed Bella's, or hers had claimed his, in a deep kiss that I was _positive_ involved some serious tongue action. I heard a thud, but didn't look to see what it was. Jared and Bella were still lip-locked, and starting to draw a bit of an audience.

"Wh-what? Who?" stuttered a voice. I finally broke away from the show, and saw that Mike Newton was next to me. I looked down and saw Bella's bag. Evidently Mike had picked it up when she dropped it, only to drop it himself when he saw Bella.

"That's Bella's new boyfriend," I told him helpfully. "And I think they're saying hello."

By the time I looked back, Jared had lowered Bella to the ground, and they were coming back toward me. Bella's arm was around his waist, and his was around her shoulder. I remembered a day last year, the first day Edward Cullen had given Bella a ride to school, and the two of them had walked in with almost the exact same pose. But this was different.

I had never known if it was their supermodel looks or what, but the Cullens had always been different. And Edward had treated Bella with an almost old-fashioned courtesy. I thought he might have loved her, or maybe it had just been 'like', but I'd never seen in his eyes the raw emotion I saw in Jared's. He adored Bella, worshipped the ground she was somehow not tripping over. And Bella…looked up at him with so much love and trust and amusement.

"Jared, this is Angela," she told him. "And this is Ben, her boyfriend, and Mike," she added, pointing them out. Jared nodded in greeting. "Nice to meet you all."

"Everyone, this is Jared," Bella told us.

"I've heard a lot about you, Jared," I replied. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

"Likewise. Maybe the four of us could get together sometime."

"We'd like that," Ben interjected.

"What are you doing?" Mike blurted out.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "What business is it of yours, exactly?"

"All year you've been…and now you're…"

"I was lonely, upset, depressed—and now I'm not." She looked annoyed, and I couldn't blame her. Mike had always tried to act so protective of her, when all he'd wanted was what most teenage guys wanted. So many of the guys had viewed her as a shiny new toy to compete over to claim, rather than seeing her as a person. I didn't think Jared would make that mistake.

"Ready to go?" Jared asked her, reaching down to swipe her bag up by the strap.

"Yep," she answered.

"Have fun!" I called after them, as they turned for his car.

***

Jared POV

Once we were settled in the car, and on the road, I reached over to claim her hand with mine. I'd never been so grateful before that I drove an automatic.

Once we got to La Push, I turned to Bella. "Your choice."

"Why not both, if we've got time?" she asked.

With that, I turned the car in the direction of home. As I helped Bella out of the car, I saw both my parents come to the door. "Dad's home, too, I guess." I observed. Holding her hand in mine, we headed in.

"Mom, dad, this is Bella. Bella, these are my parents James and Laura Mahan."

"We're very happy to meet you, Bella," my mom told her.

"I'm pleased to meet you," she replied.

Mom urged us into the kitchen and offered us snacks. "Mom, we're going to be eating a ton at the bonfire tonight."

She gave me a tolerant expression, "Somehow, I doubt you'll have any trouble packing this food away, too." She was right. Being wolves gave us very high metabolism, so we tended to eat a lot.

"Are you looking forward to graduating, Bella?" mom asked her.

She shrugged. "I guess I'll be glad to be done, but I'm not sure what I'll do after that. Probably work or maybe go to a community college until I figure things out." Man, now I felt guilty again: I hadn't thought about how the imprint would affect Bella's future plans. What if she'd planned to move out of state, or attend a big college or something? I had to stay here, at least for a while. I didn't want her to miss out on things the way Sam had, having to give up a college scholarship when he became a wolf.

She seemed to guess the path of my thoughts, and squeezed my hand. "I know Charlie would like to see me go off to college, but I'm just not sure if that's what I want to do. I just want a 'nice normal life', as soon as I figure out what that is." I wondered what she was quoting there, but decided against asking.

To change the subject, I asked, "Where are Drew and Savannah?"

"Over with friends for a little while. Be nice to Bella, Jared, and wait before inflicting the twins on her."

"I know," I grinned. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Bella and Kim wanted to meet, and I knew that Bella would want to help Emily with the set-up for the bonfire; that was just the kind of person she was. "Well, we probably ought to get a move on," I said.

My dad offered Bella his hand to shake. "It was a pleasure to meet a friend of Jared's."

"You can say it, dad," I rolled my eyes, "you're pleased you got to meet my girlfriend." Bella blushed, but smiled. I hoped she liked hearing that word as much as I was going to enjoy saying it.

Outside, Bella turned toward the car, but I began to guide her in the other direction. "It's not too far," I explained, "so we don't need to drive. Our hands naturally seemed to find one another as we walked. As we approached the small grocery store, I saw Embry and Kim waiting outside. "Well, look who's here."

"Hey, bro," I called. Embry turned from his absorbed contemplation of Kim, and waved. He stood, and swept Bella into a hug as we stepped up on the porch. "Bella," he greeted. She gasped a little as he set her down. "Sorry," Embry apologized. "Bella, I'd like you to meet Kim. Kim, this is Bella. She's been friends with Jacob for a while, and she's…" he looked at us, "Jared's girlfriend now."

***

Bella POV

We smiled at each other, a bit shyly. She seemed a lot like Angela, and I could see why Jared had thought she and I would get along.

Embry turned to Jared. "Emily needed a few things from the store, so we came down to get them and wait for you."

"Okay. Do you girls want to come help, or would you rather stay here and talk?" Jared asked us.

"Shopping or talking, hmm," I pondered. I glanced at Kim, and we both said, "Talk."

The boys groaned, good-naturedly, and headed into the store. I settled down on Embry's abandoned seat.

"How do you feel about all of this?" Kim asked me.

"I was pretty freaked out when I first found out," I admitted. "My last boyfriend was a bit of a control-freak. Always had to be in charge and decide what was safe and what wasn't. He had these rigid limits, and wouldn't go past them no matter how much I wanted to." A tiny part of me knew I wasn't being totally fair; Edward had had some good reasons for some of his limits: the appeal of my blood being one. But still, the last few nights with Jared had really showed me how much I'd been missing out on. "But Jared…is amazing. He never pushed, and let me figure things out at my own speed."

"He hasn't pushed for anything…physical?"

"No," I blushed but decided to give her total honesty. "Actually, I made the first move there." She seemed surprised. So was I, in a way, but it had been what I wanted, and still wanted.

"Is Embry pushing?" I asked, wondering if that was the reason for her question.

"No, I just wasn't sure how that works."

"It was hard for me to believe at first, but it really _is_ all about us and what makes us happy. If a light make-out session makes me happy, that's what I'll get. If I want more—which I'm not ready for quite yet—then I imagine I'll get that, too."

"So what should I do?" Kim asked.

"Decide what you want right now. Jared and I started by just talking and getting to know each other. I had to start trusting him as a friend before I was ready to see him as more."

"Too bad I can't get Embry to tutor me," she teased.

I shrugged, unrepentant. "Well, it did work in my case. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something. Maybe _you_ could tutor _him_."

"Uh-oh," Embry observed. He and Jared exited the store, arms full of bags. "Jared, I think Emily's got some competition for the pack-mom spot now."

Jared juggled the bags so he could lean down to give me a kiss. "Just wait until you taste her cooking," was all he said.

The guys carried all the bags and led us over to a meeting hall. "Fire-pit's in back," Jared explained, but Emily's cooking inside." 

"Hi guys, and girls," Emily called when she saw us. "Finally," she chided Embry, "I've been waiting for that food. Boys, Sam needs some help out back. Bella, Kim, you're welcome to go too if you'd like."

I glanced at Kim. "I think we'll stay her and help, if that's okay."

"Sure, there's lots to do," Emily started unloading the bags.

Jared moved closer. "I'll see you soon," he told me, and lifted me up again. My legs automatically locked around him, and my head tilted to mirror his. Our mouths met, and mine opened again. Jared lightly swept his tongue inside, then invited me to do the same. I tentatively imitated him. This was definitely new ground for me. I wasn't sure exactly what I was doing, but Jared's low moan seemed to say that he liked it. I broke away so I could breathe, and buried my face in his neck. Embry's wolf-whistle made me blush again.

"Love you," Jared whispered, as he set me back on the floor.

"Love you, too," I whispered back. The two guys left, Embry teasing, and Jared cuffing him on the head. Emily was grinning at me.

"I take it things are going well," she observed.

"Yeah. You were right: this really is amazing."

We settled into the final preparations. Sam came in to check the progress.

"We're ready to get things carried out," Emily told him.

"Figured that," he replied. "The guys are on their way in to help, and the elders are arriving."

When everything was out on the tables, the elders went first, then Sam indicated for Kim and I to follow behind Emily. "Ladies first."

Jared carried my loaded plate, and guided me to a blanket spread on the ground in front of a log bench. After he got his own food, he joined me. Conversation was casual among us as we ate. The guys were really proving Jared's mom right; I wasn't sure how they were managing to stuff so much food in their stomachs. Billy, Harry, and an old man that Jared identified at Quil Ateara III, were sitting off to one side, near Sam and Emily. Jared laid another blanket over the log, and leaned back against it, nestling me against his side. Sam shifted on his seat, until he was facing the same way as the other elders, and I remembered that he was one, too. Emily straightened up, and pulled out a notebook and pen, clearly planning to take notes. Jared's body shook with amusement.

"I really ought to suggest she just buy a mini-recorder or something. She always tries to take notes, and never catches everything. If she had one, she could actually listen better."

"So, let's get her one," I suggested. He nodded, I think, and we both turned our attention back to the elders. It was story time.


	14. Flames and Tales

AN: Well, it's finally here. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this event, as the story took me in a few directions I hadn't expected. I hope my interpretation of the bonfire meets with your expectations. As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. Favorite scenes or lines, anything that's confusing or that you didn't like, I'd like to know.

Bella POV

A hush fell around the circle, and Billy began to speak into the silence. It was clearly a story he knew well, but one that lost nothing of its power from the fact of being familiar.

"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning. And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting—that came later. First, we were spirit warriors."

I was only vaguely aware of the scratch of Emily's pen on the paper, caught up as I was in the hypnotic majesty of Billy's voice. I could visualize what Billy was describing, like a movie projected into the fire's flames. Spirit warriors fighting their enemies, their wives guarding their bodies…

His voice resonated with power, speaking of the great chief Taha Aki and his jealous spirit warrior Utlapa. I heard with horror how Utlapa had killed himself and taken over Taha Aki's vacant body, how Taha Aki had asked to share the body of a wolf… I was trying to pay close attention, but Jared's fingers were running down the strands of my hair, stretching out the curls and then letting them spring back.

I refocused to listen as Billy told how Taha Aki had become so angered by something that he'd burst out of the wolf's body and become a man again, defeating Utlapa. "Taha Aki quickly set everything right. The only change he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. He knew it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more," he said.

"From that point on, Taha Aki was more than either wolf or man. He led the tribe for many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some found that they too could transform into wolves. They, too, did not age, but the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men's lives, and had married a third wife. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did. This is the how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story…"

Old Quil took over then, at Billy's glance, relating that trouble had come to the neighboring Makah tribe. Several young women had disappeared and the wolves were blamed. Taha Aki's son Taha Wi led the pack out to investigate. They found a sickly-sweet smell that burned their noses. After sending part of the pack home to report, he and two of his brothers followed the scent; they never came back. A year later, two more girls disappeared, and the wolves again hunted. Only one came back…" I felt Jared's muscles tense; history was repeating itself now. Disappearances, deaths, giant bears or wolves thought responsible…

When I listened to the description of the stone corpse he'd brought back, and how it was burned, I flashed back to that night in Phoenix. I didn't have much memory of anything other than the burning I'd felt when James bit me, but I knew from later on that the Cullens had ripped him apart and burned him, just like the Quileutes in this story had. I wasn't the only one to jump when Billy pulled out a small leather pouch that hung around his neck, apparently the same one as in the story. Jared could feel me start to shake when the revenge-seeking mate was mentioned; he pulled me closer to him and squeezed me in reassurance; a silent promise that he was there for me.

I needed his support when Old Quil spoke of Taha Aki's third wife, and how she'd bought him a distraction in his battle against the vampire's mate, at the cost of shoving a knife into her heart. I closed my eyes to fight off a wave of nausea. In some ways, her action was similar to my own in Phoenix: rushing to meet a vampire I thought was holding my mom, willing to die to keep her alive. But even though I'd been willing to sacrifice myself, I never could have actively committed suicide, the way the third wife had done. I doubted the tribe would see things the same way: to them, she was a hero. Maybe it was the means that bothered me; would I see it differently if she'd thrown herself at the vampire instead?

"The wolf-descendants of Taha Aki have guarded the tribe ever since, never more than three at a time, until now, and only when the Cold Ones appeared, one or two at a time," Old Quil told us.

Jared POV

I grasped Bella's hand tighter, knowing what came next in the story.

"A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfather's prepared to fight them off. But the leader spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as other blood drinkers. The wolves were outnumbered there was no reason for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They've stayed true to their side, although their numbers have forced a larger pack that the tribe has ever seen." I saw Old Quil's eyes trace briefly over Bella, though they didn't linger. She seemed quite understanding of this part of the story, and I wondered how much the Cullens might have added to what Jacob had told her; I reminded myself to ask her about it later. "And so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them." My brothers and I looked at one another in sober agreement; most of us knew only too well the sacrifices we'd been making, and would continue to make, in the defense of our homes and people.

Bella POV

When Old Quil finished, everyone around the fire seemed somber for a few moments, then the mood seemed to change. People started getting up, some going over to the food, others back into the building. Jared helped me up and supported me while feeling returned to my legs. I needed to use the bathroom, so we walked inside. After, Jared led me back outside, but away from the fire.

"Is it over?" I asked.

"No, there'll be more. This is just an intermission. But what do you think so far?" he wanted to know.

"Wow. I had no idea your stories were so incredible. You were right about needing to hear them to really appreciate everything. I could almost see it all; well, everything I could concentrate on, anyway." I reflected.

"Now you see why Emily takes notes every time."

"Think she'll let me borrow them?"

"Don't tell me you're going to start memorizing them already?"

"No, I just missed a lot. _You_ kept distracting me."

"Did I?" Jared looked rather pleased by that revelation.

"You know you were," I teased. "Playing with my hair, running your fingers along my neck, down my arm…"

"Did you mind me doing that?" he asked, pulling me closer to his side as we walked.

"I didn't say that," I defended myself. "It's just that I'm here to hear the stories and I'm not getting much of them."

He stopped and turned to face me. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to be that distracting. I just…like touching you, and I like that I affected you so much. But …"

"It's okay, Jared." I decided that he, like me, might need some proof. I saw a convenient tree stump nearby and led him in that direction. I used his arm to pull myself up, and then drew him closer to me. I laid my lips on his and traced them with my tongue, insisting he part them. Bolder than I'd been this morning, I dipped my tongue inside his mouth and ran it over his teeth and the roof of his mouth. His arms wrapped around me and he groaned, encouraging my explorations.

"I _don't mind _you affecting me," I insisted, when we came up for air.

"Good," he decreed, "because I plan on doing it as often as I can, but _not_ when you're trying to listen to the stories."

We started heading back toward the fire. "What did Old Quil mean, about this being a burden?"

Jared sighed, "You see, he's old enough to remember seeing his grandfather, the first Quil, phase. It bothers him, and the other elders too, that this need for a pack has fallen on my generation instead of theirs."

***

Jared POV

She looked at me appraisingly. "Is that the way you see it, too? As a burden?"

"Usually not," I said, "but there are times…when it would be nice if we only had to worry about normal teenage stuff and not protecting our whole tribe. "Don't get me wrong, there's a lot that we like: the speed, the cool factor, the bond we share—"

"—except when Paul's being obnoxious—" she interjected.

"Yeah, except for that. And finding you—I'll never, ever regret that."

"But Old Quil, does he regret that it's happening to the tribe again, or because of who and how many are affected this time?"

"You really _are_ perceptive," I observed. Her mouth twisted.

"I've heard that before."

"Bothered them, did it?" I ventured, guessing what she meant.

"Some of them," she admitted. "They didn't expect that a human like me would be able to see through the charade so quickly and figure everything out almost completely on my own."

I didn't like sympathizing with my natural enemies, even ones who were different from the norm, especially ones who had hurt my imprint so badly. But I could understand why they'd've had an issue with this. Their existence, like ours, depended on secrecy. And Bella had an uncanny ability to ferret out the secrets around her.

"Bella?" I asked, thinking that now might be a good time.

"Yes?" she answered, apparently having decided to explore my shoulders now.

"How much did you already know about our treaty with them?"

She inhaled deeply. "Well, Jacob mentioned it a little, when he first told me," she began. "That they were descended from an enemy clan, but claimed to be different. He said that his great-grandfather made a treaty with them: the tribe wouldn't reveal them to the world, if they stayed off the tribe's land. The Cullens did tell me a bit more later on. It just makes sense, though. That's exactly how Carlisle would have acted; he wouldn't have wanted to destroy the wolves if there was a way to live peacefully. And what he said about the numbers makes sense, too."

"How do you mean?"

"Alice and Jasper weren't with them the first time they lived here." I had no reason to doubt her, but could the addition of two bloodsuckers really make that much difference? Five vampires to three wolves before; seven vampires to five, almost six, wolves now? Did these red-eyed ones count too?

"So will I get an answer to my question, or does it fall under the Werewolf Secrecy Act?" she asked, when I was evidently silent for too long.

"Werewolf Secrecy Act?" I couldn't help it and started to laugh. "No, nothing like that. Old Quil, well, I'd guess it's both, especially since…we'll be getting a new brother soon."

"Who?" she wanted to know.

"Young Quil," I answered.

"I guess that would explain it. Can't be easy watching your grandson go through something like this, and know that it could have, and maybe should have, been you instead."

"Yeah. It's starting for him, just like it did for the rest of us. Higher body temperature, rapid growth spurt. Soon it'll be his temper, then the first phase. Old Quil knows it's coming—he was the one who figured things out with Sam to begin with."

"People had started to forget, or disbelieve the stories a little—it had been generations since there'd been a pack, after all. Sam's grandfather was long dead, and his father long gone, so no one really noticed when he started to change. The first time he phased, he was so freaked out that it took him a good two weeks to figure out how to change back. Sam's mom, and his girlfriend Leah—"

"Leah?" Bella gasped, then her expression cleared. "Oh, I remember. Sam was with her then."

"Yeah. She and Sam were high school sweethearts. Anyway, she and Sam's mom were worried sick. They had the rangers out looking for him, but of course, there was no trace of him. And when he came back, he didn't tell them anything. Old Quil put it all together when he stopped by one day and shook Sam's hand."

She looked at me in question. I took her hand in mine. "Oh," she understood. "Sam was running a temperature."

I nodded. "He talked to the other elders, then secretly with Sam. Sam was supposed to keep it secret—only those who have to know are supposed to, like the elders and spouses, but he cheated a bit, like Jacob did with you, and managed to tell Leah a little. They were trying to work things out when her cousin Emily came to visit. Sam imprinted, and…"

"Leah got left behind." Bella empathized.

"Yeah."

***

We settled back on the blanket, and it was Harry's turn to talk. I leaned down, and whispered in her ear, "He's going to tell about how our tribe, and our neighbors, came to be: through Q'waeti' the protector."

"It happened long ago that Q'waeti' journeyed all over the land setting the people aright and instructing the people that would come in the future how they should act. Q'waeti' instructed the people how to build houses…" Harry began.

I looked down after a few minutes, and saw that Bella's head was pillowed against my side; her closed eyes and even breathing told me that she was asleep.

Things wound up after Harry's story. Bella was still asleep, so Sam and Jacob helped me get to my feet while picking up Bella to carry her. She didn't wake, just burrowed closer to the warmth of my body as we moved away from the fire.

I was more grateful than I could express that Bella knew of and was so accepting and understanding of our legends and beliefs. I was given more evidence every day of how utterly remarkable she was.

When I got home, mom had evidently been watching for me, because she came outside.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked, quietly.

"It was cool. I think she enjoyed it too, but Harry was too good of a storyteller—knocked her right out." I smiled down at her.

Mom gave me a knowing smile, and I'd've shrugged if I hadn't wanted Bella to keep sleeping.

"I'm going to run her home before it gets any later. Could you call and let her dad know we're on our way?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll leave a light on for you."

"Thanks, mom."

Charlie Swan was waiting for us at the door. He held it open for me as I carried Bella inside and up the stairs to her room. She still hadn't stirred, so I opted to just remove her shoes and tuck her under the covers. "I'll be back as soon as I can," I whispered, brushing a kiss to her hair before I left.

Charlie clearly had something on his mind when I got back downstairs. "Jared, I just want to know…what your intentions are with Bella." He was embarrassed, but I knew he was just concerned about her.

"I care about her a lot," I told him honestly. "I know I haven't known her very long, but I know how special she is. I know I'm luckier than I deserve, that she's interested in me too."

"Hurt her, and I'll…" he trailed off in implication.

"I swear that I will do everything I can to never hurt her." I vowed.

He nodded in acceptance, and held the door open for me to leave. I drove home as fast as I could, anxious to drop off my car, fake my presence at home, and get back to Bella's side.

Bella POV

_As usual, I knew that I was dreaming. I was standing on First Beach at La Push, where my knowledge of the stories had begun. I saw a black-and-white wolf in front of me, and somehow knew that he was Billy Black. He growled and sank into a crouch as a white-skinned vampire appeared nearby. I gasped to see that it was Rosalie. She stalked toward him, a graceful predator, and I could see why Edward hadn't wanted me to see this. I knew what was about to happen, and tried to shout at them, to scream for them to stop, but nothing came out._

Jared POV

I had only just swung up on the window frame and into Bella's room, when she began to thrash in the bed. She gasped and a hoarse shout broke the night silence. I moved toward her, but froze when a noise sounded in the hall. _Crap,_ I thought. _Charlie's coming!_ I glanced around frantically, and finally dove noiselessly down to the floor on the near side of her bed, covering myself as much as I could with the draping bedcovers, hoping he wouldn't come around to see me. The doorknob squeaked as it turned, and the door opened.

***

AN: The story that Harry starts to tell about the origin of the tribe is an actual Quileute legend. It can be found at: **http://www(dot)native-languages(dot)org/quileutestory(dot)htm**


	15. Threshold

AN: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this story so far! I love hearing about your favorite scenes and lines. Unfortunately, I do not own Twilight, and my only profit from this story is pleasure. Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Between a virus on my computer and stress about school, it was hard to get in the mindset for writing. I hope the wait is worth it.

Oh, I made a small correction to the very end of chapter 1. It only took me one month and 13 additional chapters to catch that Jared shouldn't have had shorts tied around his ankle after phasing to go after Paul. Oops.

On to the chapter.

Jared POV

I froze on the floor as soft footfalls sounded, coming closer.

"Bella?" Charlie's voice asked quietly. I could hear a rustling of fabric, but didn't dare peek up to see what it was.

"Wha—" Bella shrieked, and I realized that Charlie must have jostled her awake.

"I thought you were over these nightmares," he said.

"I am," her dry voice told him. "This was something else. Old Quil Ateara told a really scary story tonight. I think it slipped into my dream. I'm alright, really."

"Okay…" Charlie didn't seem 100% convinced, but dropped it. "You seem to have enjoyed spending time with Jared this week," he ventured.

She didn't answer verbally, so I guessed she must have nodded.

"If…he asked you to….go on a date…do you think…do you think you'd say yes?"

"What would you say if I said yes?" she neatly turned the tables on him.

"I'd say that he seems to be a good guy and that I hope you'll give him a chance. And that if he hurts you…I'll take him fishing." I guessed he was probably thinking along the lines of 'two go out and only one comes back'. I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing, but I was more interested in Bella giving him (and me) an answer.

"I think I would," she answered softly. He didn't say anything, and I was willing to bet that both of them were blushing.

"Okay, then," he sighed. I heard the bed creak as he got up, and then my heart shot up into my throat as he started to move around the foot of the bed.

"Dad?"

"Just shutting your window, Bells."

"Don't. It's okay, I like having it open." _Careful, Bella,_ I thought._ You don't want him getting suspicious._

He stopped. "Okay. Night, Bells." The footsteps reversed and the door closed again. I heard the covers thrown back, off the bed enough to partly cover me, and her feet on the floor.

"Jared," she whispered.

"Down here," I whispered back, unburying myself.

Bella about jumped a foot in the air at that. "You were…when he was…" she stuttered.

"I'd just gotten here, and it was the best option," I defended.

She nodded and came back to the bed, patting the usual space next to her. We spooned up like the night before.

"What was your nightmare about?" I was a little hesitant to ask, as I never had before.

"A lot of it was right out of the stories. Billy was a wolf and Rosalie was there, and they were going to fight. I tried to stop them, and that's when Charlie woke me up."

"Rosalie?"

"One of the Cullens. Blonde supermodel. She always hated me, but I never got a good answer as to why."

"The rest of them?"

"Seemed to like me. Jasper kept his distance, but he was newer to the lifestyle than the rest. It was harder for him and I don't think he wanted to take any chances."

In one sense, I was glad that she was now able to talk about them without the pain Jacob had mentioned last week, but they weren't my preferred topic of conversation when curled up around my girlfriend.

"Did you really mean it? What you said to your dad?" I asked her.

"Are you really asking me?" she twisted her head so she could look at me. I took advantage and leaned down to claim her mouth with mine.

"Mmmhmm," Bella mumbled.

***

Bella POV

I hated being distracted when I wanted an answer, but I most definitely did not object to the method of distraction he was employing. Without losing contact with the lips on mine, I somehow managed to turn in his arms so that I was facing him. Jared definitely approved of my maneuver, if his tightening embrace was any indication. His tongue swept my lips, and inside my mouth when I parted them. I extended my arms to encircle him in turn, and belated realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt tonight. I'd known they generally went shirt-less, but had forgotten since he'd made a point of wearing one this week.

"_So why do you guys tend to go around half-naked?" I'd asked during one of our sharing talks._

"_Well, you know about phasing and clothes, right?" he replied._

"_Yeah, Embry mentioned it that first day, how your clothes shred if you're wearing them when you change form."_

"_If we know we're going to change, we can strip off our shorts or pants, and tie them around our ankle," he'd lifted one leg of his jeans to reveal a long black cord wrapped around his ankle. "But there's only so much we can tie around our leg, and pants are a higher priority than shirts, so we do one and not the other."_

"_Makes sense," I'd agreed._

I now decided to take full advantage of the opportunity I was being offered, and began tracing my hands across his shoulder blades and up and down his spine. Jared flexed forward as I did so, and I got ample proof of how interested he was in our activities. Not that I wasn't also interested, but I wasn't nearly ready for _that_ yet.

I stiffened involuntarily, and he froze. "Bella?" he asked, pulling back to look at my face.

"I—" how could I explain this without burning up with embarrassment?

"Bella, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have…" Jared was almost incoherent.

I reached up and put a finger on his lips. "I meant what I said before about liking that we affect each other physically, but I'm just not ready for going that far yet."

He nodded. "And I meant what _I_ said about never wanting to push you farther than you want to go. If this is getting to be too much, we can back things down." Not that he probably wanted to do that; and I didn't either.

"Maybe we can just stay at this level for a while. And when I'm ready for more, I promise I'll let you know."

He gave me a kiss, and then turned so that we were positioned as we had been a few nights ago: him on his back, and me pillowed on his shoulder. I breathed deeply, taking in his woodsy scent. I fell asleep to the gentle murmur of words I couldn't understand.

***

Jared POV

I stirred when a tickling sensation on my nose became too distracting to ignore. I brushed at it irritably, hoping not to fully waken. When it continued, I opened my eyes to a rare sunny morning. Bella was propped up on her elbow, looking at me reproachfully.

"What?" I asked. "Was I snoring or something?"

"No," she giggled, then was serious again. "You never answered my question last night."

"Question? Oh," I remembered. Gulp. "Bella, would you like to go out with me soon? Officially?" I held my breath.

"What are you so worried about?" she laughed softly. "Yes, of course I will. When?"

I wasn't sure. Sam had been letting me off the hook a lot this past week in terms of patrolling, but that couldn't last indefinitely.

"I feel bad saying this, but I'll probably need to check with Sam on the timing," I admitted. "He's cut me a lot of slack lately, but I do have some beta responsibilities I have to deal with."

"Beta?" She seemed surprised. Had I never mentioned that?

"Yeah. For now, I'm second in command after Sam."

"For now? Are you planning to step down?"

"As soon as Jake's ready to step up I will."

"Jake? Already? The rest you have been wolves so much longer, though, so why is he getting such a jump in rank?"

"By rights Jake ought to be Alpha, but he doesn't want that, so this is the compromise."

"Why?" Bella wanted to know.

"Jake probably ought to be the one to share his reasons, but I'm not upset, if that's what you're worried about. I've only been beta by default, so it's not a big deal to give it up."

"What do you mean 'by default'?"

"I was the second to phase after Sam. He sort-of became Alpha because he was the one of us who knew what he was doing. Same reason I became beta when Paul phased—can you see him in charge?" She shook her head. "Things might have been different if we'd phased in a different order—if Jake had phased second, for instance, Sam probably would have given over Alpha authority to him a while ago."

"But _why_ is Jacob the rightful Alpha at all?" Bella demanded.

"The last time there was a pack was 70 years ago. Ephraim Black was Alpha, Levi Uley was beta, and the other wolf was the first Quil Ateara. Ideally, Jake and Sam would have taken on the roles their great-grandfathers held, but for age and timing and all."

"Anyway, everyone understands me needing to be with you, but I do still need to help them out, at least until Quil phases to join us. We'll be glad to have him, even though we wish it didn't have to happen."

"I'm not so sure that Quil will share that last thought," she told me.

"Huh?" Why would she think that? Even those of us who'd gotten something good out of phasing, like our imprints, sometimes wished that the whole thing had never happened.

"I saw him a couple weeks ago, during Jake's disappearing act. Quil was really bummed about being abandoned again. I just think that he might be so happy to have his friends back that he won't care much how it happened."

I wasn't so sure as she seemed to be, but I wasn't going to bet against her. Bella just saw way too much.

"Would you like to come down to La Push again today?" I asked her. "Sam wants us to run a sweep, but you could hang out with Emily and Kim while we're gone."

"I'd like that," she agreed. "When should I come?"

"You could come anytime, but I don't think we're going to head out until after lunch."

"I'll come down in time to eat then. I've got some chores to do around here, and I can probably throw something together to bring with me."

"Sounds good. I'll let the others know." Mindful of her earlier comment, I gave her just a light kiss before leaving.

_Finally,_ Jake thought as soon as I'd phased. _I thought you were never going to leave._

_Shut up,_ I thought back at him, remembering how easily I could have _still_ been up there.

_What? You? How could—_Jake was practically incoherent. _What were you __**thinking**__?_

_Obviously, I __**wasn't**__,_ I retorted. _And if you look closer, I stopped as soon as she wasn't comfortable with it._

_Okay,_ his acceptance was grudging.

_Everything still on for this afternoon?_ I asked.

_Yeah._

_Okay. I'm heading home to clean up. I'll be over for lunch, Bella too._

***

Bella POV

When I went downstairs, there was a note from Charlie propped on the kitchen table.

**Bella, Gone fishing again with Harry. Have some fun today. Dad**

Spending so much time with Jared over the past week had meant that I hadn't been spending as much time doing chores. I started some laundry and took an inventory of the kitchen. I decided to make a fruit salad and a chocolate cake, so a quick run to the grocery store was a necessity.

I was hoping to be in and out quickly, but was thwarted when Jessica and Lauren ambushed me just short of the checkout counter.

"OMG, Bella," Jessica shrilled. "Who was that absolute hottie who picked you up from school yesterday?

_Has she always been this annoying?_ I wondered. _And if she was, how could I not have noticed?_

"Jessica, Lauren," my voice was cool; I hoped, but didn't expect, that they would take the hint.

"Well?" Lauren's voice was even less friendly than Jessica's.

I sighed, and decided to get it over with so that I could check out and leave. "His name is Jared, he's Quileute, and my boyfriend, so hands and eyes off. Got it?"

"Well," Jessica huffed.

"We've barely interacted all year, but as soon as someone shows interest in me you're all cozy again." She'd once told me that the guys saw me as a shiny new toy, and I realized that the sentiment described her own interactions with me as well. I hadn't missed being involved with these two, and thought that the new friends I'd just made would more than make up for it. I pushed past them, had my purchases rung up, and headed home.

***

I arrived at Sam and Emily's at the same time as Jacob.

"Let me grab that," he offered, when I opened the passenger door of my truck to retrieve the food.

"At least get it inside before you start eating it," I directed.

"Whee-whew," Embry wolf-whistled when I walked in the door. Kim cuffed him on the head.

"Watch it," she warned.

"Hey," he defended himself. "Just making up for Jared's lack of reaction."

I looked at my boyfriend and saw what Embry was teasing about. Jared was staring at me, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Miraculously, I somehow avoided blushing, and instead raised my eyebrow and smiled slyly. I knew that I looked good today. I'd worn my khaki skirt (my only skirt, if I was honest about it) and a green camisole and cardigan set. I'd let my hair air-dry after my shower, and it was slightly wavy as it hung past my shoulders, though I'd pulled the hair around my face up into a ponytail.

"Man, Jared, you are toast," Paul crowed, "You don't stand a chance."

"Eyes back in your head, Jared," Sam chuckled. "Nice to see you again, Bella."

Jared finally seemed to wake up from his trance and came up to me. "Hach Wisatsu'upat," he breathed, bringing his hands up to frame my face and bent down to claim me for a deep kiss. As always, I reveled in the warmth of his body against mine, the passion sparked by his lips against mine. Eventually, the laughter and catcalls brought us back to reality.

"What did that mean? Hach—" I had to give up trying to repeat what he'd said.

"Beautiful woman. You are my beautiful woman."

"Aww," Paul was really asking for it, in my opinion. Fortunately I had the means to retaliate.

"Paul?" I asked him sweetly.

"Yeah?"

"You can tease, or you can eat cake? Do you have a preference?"

"You don't fight fair," he groaned.

"Now, why would I want to do that?" I asked the room at large.

"Come on, let's eat," Sam suggested.

The conversation during lunch was light and casual: talk about school and plans for the spring break we'd just started dominated.

After the guys had demolished the food, Sam gestured toward the door. "Okay, guys, let's go." Those with imprints, Sam, Embry, and Jared, detoured toward Emily, Kim, and I.

"You girls have fun, okay?" Jared told me.

"Okay, you too."

***

Jared POV

As much as I'd enjoyed spending so much time with Bella lately, I discovered now just how much I'd missed the freedom of a full-out run just for the sake of it, not just to get to or from her house.

_Don't lose focus_, Sam warned. _Keep on alert for her scent._

We ranged far south and east, through the Cullens' old territory and down through the Olympic National Park and Forest almost to Olympia.

_Nothing_, Jacob judged.

_Agreed,_ Sam concurred. _We'll head home on a route closer to Puget Sound, swing back home by way of Port Angeles—make a circuit._

_Let's go,_ I urged, seconded by Embry. We both wanted to get back to our imprints as soon as we could. We had just started the westward turn when Sam threw up his head. _Leech! It's her._


	16. Pursuit and Development

AN: Thanks for your patience with the delay; I'm sorry that it took so long. Last week delivered me lots of computer and school stress, so I just wasn't in the physical, mental, or emotional mood to write. But my computer works now, and I'm making progress on my assignments, so I'm ready to write again. That and the knowledge that it's only 24 more hours until the New Moon release! Although I wish I did, I unfortunately don't own Twilight.

From last chapter:

_Let's go,__ I urged, seconded by Embry. We both wanted to get back to our imprints as soon as we could. We had just started the westward turn when Sam threw up his head. __Leech! It's her._

***

Jared POV

We knew he was right. The scent was unmistakable. The odd reprieve of the past week was over and she'd come back.

_Let's get her!_ I howled, eager to destroy this threat to my imprint once and for all.

Everyone agreed with me, though only Sam and Embry truly understood my deeper emotions and the fear of a wolf who knew his mate was in danger.

_Straight and fast,_ Sam ordered. _Run her down like we did the other._

We tore off silently, no howls to give her warning of our approach. Jacob and I were in the lead, my drive helping me match his speed. The scent grew stronger—evidence that we were on the right track.

We broke into a thinned-out part of the forest, and there she was, on the path a few hundred yards ahead of us. I focused on her now, more than I had the times I'd seen her before. Her long curly hair was the color of coppery flames, blowing loose around her face and shoulders with the breeze and her movements. Her face was the icy-white of all her kind, set with a pair of blood-red eyes. Her clothes were mismatched, and I probably didn't want to know how she'd come by them, although I could make a good guess. Olive-green peasant blouse, dark green duster jacket over it, dark blue jeans tucked into brown boots, multicolored scarf around her waist.

A simultaneous howl erupted from each of us and we raced after her as she turned and fled. She raced through the trees, easily avoiding the obstacles in her way. She was a lot quicker than her late friend had been, and a lot more canny. When Paul came at her from the left, she veered right. When we tried to surround her, she leapt into the trees, running along the branches and jumping from tree to tree as easily as a child jumping on playground equipment. Everything we tried, she somehow evaded, just like every other time we'd encountered her.

I suddenly realized just how close we'd come to the reservation, and to the coast. Her flight, and our pursuit, was heading straight for the coastal cliffs north of La Push. Straight for cliffs too high even for us to consider diving from. She never broke stride, and headed right for the edge, leaping far out from the cliff, then flipping in midair and executing a perfect Olympic-quality dive into the ocean below.

Her head bobbed above the water briefly, then she struck out heading up the coast. I hoped she kept going all the way to Canada and beyond.

_9.5—9.9—and 10 from the Canadian judge,_ Jacob snorted as he spun out to stop himself short of a sudden drop.

_Ha ha,_ Embry clearly wasn't amused, and neither was I. _What_ was it going to take to kill this leech for good?

We stood there for a few moments, catching our breath and trying to figure out what to do next. Suddenly we all froze as a noise echoed through the forest behind us, in the direction of home. It was discordant, hearing an agonized animal howl with our ears and a terrified human voice in our minds.

_Oww—help—what's going on? What happened? What's wrong with me?_

_It's Quil!_ Jacob told us.

_I didn't think it was quite that near for him. She must have gotten close enough to trigger it,_ Sam thought.

_Quil, calm down_, Embry urged.

_What? Who is that? What's going on?_ Quil wasn't calming down much.

_Sam?_ I asked.

_Jared, Embry, go and start explaining things to Quil. Try to get him to phase back if you can; take him to Emily's if it happens._

_Got it,_ we agreed.

_Paul, head south along the coast for a bit, just to make sure she hasn't circled around. Jacob and I will head north and do the same._ Sam handed out instructions.

_***_

_Why don't you take lead on this,_ I suggested to Embry as we ran to join Quil. _After all, you two were friends before, and I was just a bulked up hall monitor._ I couldn't resist teasing him for his description of Sam, Paul, and I before he'd joined us.

_Shut up, _he muttered.

We found Quil, cowering under a tree, in the woods outside of town. I fell back to allow Embry to approach first.

_Quil, it'll be okay. Just calm down, man,_ Embry coaxed.

_Em--?_ Quil stuttered, recognizing his old friend's voice but not really able to believe it.

_Yeah, it's me. This is Jared, _he jerked his head in my direction. I nodded acknowledgment.

_Part of Sam Uley's gang,_ Quil's tone was just a little bitter. I couldn't exactly blame him. He'd been dropped by both his best friends in a matter of weeks, and both had immediately joined up with Sam. Bella clearly hadn't been the only one to view us as a gang.

_It's not a gang,_ Embry corrected, _we were wrong about that. It's a pack of super-strong, super-fast, super-cool protectors, and you just joined up._

_I didn't join anything,_ Quil protested.

_Unfortunately, this is more like a draft and not really a volunteer outfit. You're a wolf now, and part of the pack, like it or not._ I told him.

_How? Why?_ Okay, at least he was calming down enough to start thinking about some of the practical questions.

_Remember all the old tribal stories that your grandfather and the other elders told us growing up?_ I asked him, sliding into the beta role for what I hoped would be the last time.

_Yeah. All those crazy--_he broke off.

--_true stories,_ Embry and I chorused.

_They're __**all**__ true?_ he asked us.

_Yep._

_So who else is...?_ Quil asked next.

_Sam, of course--he's the alpha, the leader. Paul, me, Jared, and Jacob._ Embry answered.

_But why are we wolves?_

_Because we're all descended from Taha Aki._ I told him. _You, Jake, and Sam are descended from the members of the last pack La Push had, 70 years ago: Quil Ateara, Ephraim Black, and Levi Uley._

_So if we're all in this together, then why did you and Jake abandon me?_ Quil asked Embry, hurt obvious in his mental voice.

_We didn't __**want**__ to,_ _we hated it,_ Embry was begging Quil to understand. I figured I ought to help out.

_Young wolves have control issues,_ I told Quil. _We lose control really easily in the beginning, and that means phasing into wolf form. Since only the elders, the pack, and our mates are allowed to know the secret, that means having to avoid those who don't "need to know" until we can handle it._

_Mates? You mean that whole destiny thing is true, too?_

_All of it,_ I agreed.

_Does everybody have one?_

_Nope,_ Embry answered, offering a grin that I echoed. _Just me, Jared, and Sam so far._

_The elders thought it was pretty rare, but after Embry and I both imprinted within the same week, I think they might be re-evaluating things._

_You think?_ Embry snorted.

I turned my attention back to Quil. _You seem to be doing better. Why don't we head over to Sam and Emily's? We'll help you change back, and the girls are bound to have some food waiting for us._

_The girls?_

_Emily, of course—she's Sam's fiancée and imprint; Kim, who's Embry's imprint and probably future girlfriend; and my imprint and girlfriend, Bella._

_Bella? Bella Swan?_ Quil's jaw dropped open in complete shock. _The girl Jake's been mooning over for a year and more?_

_She only ever saw him as a friend. Granted, he was…_I sought the right word.

Embry offered a few suggestions, _Shocked, stunned, pissed?_

_Surprised. But he understands the imprint and he's okay with it._ I used my shoulder to nudge Quil in the right direction.

_Um, Jared?_ Quil asked me tentatively.

_Yeah?_

_I, um, don't have any clothes anymore._

Embry and I both chuckled._ We know. It's a hazard of being a wolf. You'll ruin a lot of outfits until you get your temper under control._

_So what do I do right now?_

_There ought to be some shorts of Sam's you can borrow. We're all pretty good about sharing, and when you're phasing on purpose, you can take your clothes off beforehand._

Getting to Sam's place, I phased and dressed, then grabbed a pair of cut-off shorts from the clothesline. "Okay, just stay calm and think about being human again." I guessed Embry was offering silent support and suggestions too. A moment later, Quil's form began to vibrate and the change rippled across his body. I carefully averted my eyes, not wanting to embarrass him. The shorts I was holding, I tossed in his direction.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem. So, you going to be okay with all this?"

"Let me think about it a minute," he requested. "I'm big, strong, fast, and sexy. I'm part of a super secret society of protectors, and I've got my best friends back. Okay with it? This is awesome!"

I rolled my eyes. Did she ever get tired of being right?

Embry had changed back too, "Bet you're glad you didn't bet Bella on that, right?" he teased.

"Oh yeah," I agreed.

"Bet Bella?" Quil wanted to know.

"She figured you'd be okay with this whenever it happened. Looks like she was right." Embry and I headed up the steps, focused on seeing our imprints again. I could hear Quil following us; not like there was anything else for him to do.

***

Bella POV

The girl-talk I'd been sharing with Emily and Kim was interrupted by feet on the porch.

"Hey, Emily, your grocery bill just shot up again," Jared called as he breezed through the door, making a beeline for me.

Emily probably said something, but I couldn't catch it as Jared swept me into his embrace and followed that maneuver up with a kiss. As always, everything else faded into the background and I could only focus on him. When we came up for air, I followed his now-extended arm, past a hugging Kim and Embry, to where Quil was standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hello, Quil," Emily greeted him. "Hungry?"

"Like you need to ask," the guys snorted.

Emily smiled, "You're right, I ought to know better by now. Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable. This seems to be everyone's home-away-from-home, so it's okay." She got everyone settled around the table, and Kim helped her pass around the food. I would have helped, but Jared wasn't willing to let me move away from him. I didn't exactly mind, but I did wonder if something specific was responsible.

Like me, Emily seemed willing to let them eat a little before plying them with questions. Finally, though, we'd had enough. "Where are the others," she asked them. Quil was clearly startled by the question, and I guessed he had no idea what the others had been up to before he joined them. Embry looked to Jared to offer explanations.

"We were almost back when we came across a scent. Sam, Jacob, and Paul went to track it."

"And?" I wasn't about to let it drop; I just _knew_ there had to be more to it than that.

Jared abandoned his plate and brought his arms around me tightly. "It was Victoria's scent," he said softly.

"She came back?" I gasped.

He nodded against my head. "She jumped into the ocean and headed north. Sam and Jacob went to make sure she didn't come ashore and double back. Paul's checking south just in case."

"Victoria?" Quil asked.

"A murderous, blood-sucking leech who's been trying for weeks now to come after Bella," Jared answered harshly.

"A vampire wants to kill you?" Quil asked me in astonishment.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Why? What could you have done to her?"

"I'm the reason her mate is dead," I answered simply. "I met them one day when I was with the Cullens. James hunted me, and the Cullens protected me and killed him. Now she wants to return the favor."

Kim's loud gasp had me spinning my head her direction. I belated realized that I hadn't shared that particular bit of information with her yet; well, I had now.

"You've got a vampire after you?" Kim choked out.

"The Cullens are vampires?" Quil was equally surprised. "Is that why the tribe doesn't like them, why they stayed away from here?"

Jared nodded, "Yeah."

"They _can't_ come here, not without breaking the treaty," Sam's voice broke in. Like Jared had done with me, he headed straight for Emily.

"Treaty?" Quil couldn't help asking.

"Seventy years ago, when they first came, our great-grandfathers, great-great-grandfather in your case, made a treaty with their coven. If they didn't hunt humans and stayed off our lands, we wouldn't tell anyone about them." Sam explained. "Welcome to the pack, Quil."

"Thanks. Hey, Jake!" Quil exclaimed, seeing Jacob come in the door, followed by Paul. "Isn't this cool?"

Jake stared at his friend, like Quil had suddenly started speaking a foreign language. "Cool?" he repeated.

"This whole wolf thing."

"I think he was dropped on his head as a baby," Jake said to no one in particular. Quil looked a little offended, but opted to follow the example of the others and eat rather than keep things going.

"Sam?" I asked hesitantly, "did you find anything?"

"We followed the coast north almost to Port Angeles," he told me, "but there was nothing. She probably swam across the sound to Canada. If she follows her usual pattern, she'll be gone for a while. We'll still be keeping watch for when she comes back—it'll be easier now that Quil has joined us."

"So what's the plan?" Paul asked.

"You, Jake, and I will take the wider circuit; Quil, Embry and Jared will take the inner."

I felt Jared relax slightly beside me, and guessed that was part of Sam's rationale. With the imprints being so new, both Jared and Embry would be most focused on protecting me and Kim. Keeping them close to us would satisfy both their imperative as well as the pack's duty to a brother's imprint.

The latecomers settled down to eat. Like I'd thought, Quil was totally fine with his new lot in life. It seemed to bother the others a little, his easy acceptance of things. I remembered what Jared had told me just a few days ago, "_We'll be glad to have him, even though we wish it didn't have to happen."_ Well, it had happened, and I, for one, was glad—glad that Quil, Embry, and Jake could all be friends again, and glad that there would be yet one more pack member around to keep Jared, my Jared safe.

***

Later, as we settled down in my room, Jared wrapped his arms around me.

"I still mean it Bella, just like always. I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe from her."

"I know you will," I assured him, "I just wish…you wouldn't be at risk yourself doing it."

I pressed closer to him, melding our bodies and lips together. "Please, be careful," I breathed. "If anything happened to you…"

He kissed me gently. "Don't worry, Bella. This is what we are born and bred to do. And we watch out for each other. The others will watch over me, just as I will for them."

I nodded and settled my head on his chest, falling asleep to the rhythmic beat of his heart.

***

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd appreciate knowing what you think, via that little green button at the bottom.

The "Embry's dad" poll is about to close, so please vote if you have an opinion and haven't shared it already. I'll have another poll up soon.


	17. Spring Break

AN: Sorry for taking so long to get this up. I'd actually written about a fourth of a chapter before deciding that it wasn't what I was looking for right now, so I had to go back to the drawing board. I hope you enjoy this—I'd love to hear what you think.

Bella POV

On Monday, Jared showed up at my house mid-afternoon, carrying a couple of grocery bags full of food and stuff.

"What's all this?" I asked him. "You know, it is spring break this week. I didn't realize when I asked you for help that you were going to be so strict about studying."

"Well, since you've done so much to feed me lately, I thought I should return the favor," he set the bags on the counter and came to wrap his arms around me. He breathed deeply, taking in the scent of my strawberry shampoo, then began pressing kisses to my hair, my temple, and down my cheek to my lips. My head fell backward, as the muscles in my neck lost strength.

"And I thought that it might ease things for your dad to let me take you out this weekend."

I refocused with interest. "Any hints?"

"Well…the options are somewhat limited around here, but I wonder if you'd be okay with a museum or something in Port Angeles? I thought about a movie, but that's such a stereotypical 'first date' thing."

"Sounds good. Is it something special?"

"It's a display of tribal art—ours and some of the other local tribes—up in Port Angeles." He seemed pleased that I was open to his idea.

"I'd like that. I think I ought to get to know your world, your culture, a little better than I have so far. Although…" I trailed off, hardly believing what I was about to say, "movies do have their own advantages. There's holding hands, sitting in the back row—" Anything else I'd planned to say was swallowed up by his mouth claiming mine again.

"Okay, we can do a movie too. Maybe with Embry and Kim, and Angela and—was it Ben?—too."

"I'd like that."

Jared snagged the local paper, and flipped to the movie listings. "We could do the art gallery in the afternoon, and maybe they could meet us for dinner and a movie that evening."

"I'll ask Angela, and you can ask Embry." I suggested.

Jared started up Charlie's old grill out back, and prepped some steaks, then we settled down for a cuddling session.

Jared was out checking the steaks when Charlie got home. He was a little surprised to learn tonight's dinner arrangements, but shrugged and headed outside to see for himself.

***

Jared POV

"Chief Swan," I greeted Bella's dad as he came out the back door.

"It's Charlie, remember Jared?" he reminded me.

"I know, it just seemed right this time." Boy, was I nervous.

"Something on your mind?"

"I was hoping it'd be okay with you if I took Bella to Port Angeles on Saturday. There's an art show I think she'd like, and then we might meet up with some friends for a movie." I guessed her dad would want to know our plans.

"Have a good time," was his only comment, before going back inside.

***

Bella came out to join me, "Well?" she asked.

"He said to have a good time."

"I called Angela, and she and Ben are both up for meeting on Saturday," she held out her cell phone to me. I called Sam's, figuring that Embry, and possibly Kim too, would be there.

"Sounds fun," Kim decided, after I'd extended the invitation. "When do you want to meet up?"

"Movie's at 7, so maybe about 5? There's a Mexican restaurant, Fiesta Jalisco, that I think Bella would like."

"Can't wait," Embry agreed with her.

***

Bella POV

"Mexican?" I asked.

"I figured you might not get to have it too much up here. You probably miss it."

"I do. I could cook some of it myself, but it's not Charlie's favorite so I don't do it very often."

"Well, you should enjoy this. Fiesta Jalisco is thought to be the best Mexican on the peninsula."

"Yum." Though I wasn't sure which was better: Mexican food, or him.

***

Jared had done a good job on dinner. Charlie retreated to the living room as usual, while I helped Jared clean up. I decided to see just how accepting Charlie would be, and take Jared up to my room.

"Open door, Bells," was the only response we got. Jared threw me a wry grin.

I put on some music and turned for the bed, where he was already lounging. I was almost there when my usual clumsiness reasserted itself. I tripped over something, and fell unceremoniously onto the bed and Jared.

"Oops, sorry," I apologized.

"I'm not complaining. I like having you in my arms," he assured me.

"I hate being so clumsy. Perfectly flat surfaces and I fall on my face."

"What was it?"

"I'm not sure. There wasn't anything there." I pushed up and leaned over the edge of the bed to check. I was surprised to see that the edge of one of the floorboards had somehow come loose and was sticking up. Question solved on what I'd tripped over, but why was it loose to begin with?

"Huh, loose board."

"Let me see," Jared heaved himself up and came to look. He pulled on the protruding edge and it gave even more, revealing the open space underneath. He leaned closer, then looked up at me. "Looks like you tripped over your secret hiding place."

"What? I've never put anything down there—I never knew it _was_ there."

He reached in and grasped the contents. I gasped and froze as I saw what he brought out into view. A CD jewel case, small pile of photos, jewelry box, and an envelope. Released from immobility, my chest began heaving with the effort of trying to draw enough air into my lungs. Jared dropped everything onto the floor and I felt his arms come around me, pulling me close.

"Baby, I've got you, I've got you. Please, Bella, breathe, I'm here." His voice murmured in my ear, soothing me. The hole that I had feared was returning was gone. Slowly, my breathing evened out.

"Bella, what are those things?" Jared asked me quietly.

"My birthday presents," I whispered. "From…them. Everything disappeared when they left. I thought, I thought _he_ took everything. They were here the whole time?" Why would he have done that? Be so cruel as to take my presents away from me, only to leave them in my own bedroom?

"Do you want them?" he asked, gesturing toward the floor.

"I don't know. I think I'd like to see them, though." His response was to lean over and pick them up, depositing them on the bed next to me. I reached for the box first. "This was from Rosalie." His brows rose.

"I thought you said she didn't like you. Why get you a present then?"

"She didn't, actually. She told me when she gave it to me that Alice picked it out." I found the seam and opened the box for the first time. Resting on a bed of blue velvet was a silver chain. Threaded onto the chain was a small pendant, a blue crystal surrounded by clear ones. I pulled it out of the box, holding the chain and letting it dangle, catching the light.

"Expensive tastes," Jared commented, the box in his hand.

"What? It's just crystals."

"Well, I guess sapphires and diamonds are considered to be crystals."

I stared at him. Noticing, he held the box out to me. A small sticker in the corner said "Genuine sapphire and diamonds".

The necklace was now clenched in my fist. "Alice," was all I said. Carefully replacing the necklace in the box, I moved on to the envelope. Peeking inside, I saw that the tickets were still there.

"What's that?" Jared wanted to know.

"A couple of airline tickets. Carlisle and Esme thought I might want to fly down to Florida and see my mom." I pulled them out to show him.

"Looks like they'll be expiring in a couple months. Do you plan to use them, now that you know you've still got them?"

"I'm not sure. This is the last school break before graduation. I'd have to take time off school otherwise to use them." I wouldn't mind, but I wasn't sure that Charlie would go for it. Plus, there'd be the question of using the second ticket.

"No need to decide tonight," Jared said. "What about the rest?"

"The CD is one that he made for me, with songs that he played. And one that he wrote for me. He called it 'Bella's Lullaby'. The pictures are ones I took after Charlie gave me a digital camera for my birthday."

He picked up the pile of pictures, and flipped through them.

***

Jared POV

Most of the pictures were from what appeared to be a birthday party, judging by the cake, flowers, and candles in the background. Bella was in most of the pictures, though it appeared the entire coven had been captured in pixels. I took a moment to look at each of them closely, trying to get a feel for what these vampires had been like.

A blond man and a woman with caramel-colored hair stood watching the others, a parental look in their golden eyes. Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme. A huge dark-haired guy had been standing near a girl with long curly blonde hair; he looked to be enjoying himself, but she would clearly have preferred to be anywhere else. Emmett Cullen and Rosalie Hale. Another blond male had been off by himself, not really a part of things. I guessed he must have been the empath, Jasper Hale. All of them were in multiple pictures. Only one included a tiny black-haired girl, who must be Alice Cullen. But most of the pictures were of Bella and a bronze-haired male. I spent the longest time looking at him. Edward Cullen. I used all my powers of observation to try and figure him out. He stood close beside her, but it seemed like he was still distant, under tight control, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to be there. And maybe he hadn't; only a couple of days later he and his family were gone. I wondered what had drawn him to her, and how he could possibly have walked away; I knew it was something I could never, ever have done.

"What do you want to do with all this?" I asked her, setting the pile of photos down.

"I'll keep these," she picked up the box and envelope, "but I'm not sure I'm ready for the others."

"Would you like me to hang onto them until you decide?" Not that I really wanted to have them around (would gladly burn them if I could), but I would hate it if she destroyed them only to regret it when it was too late.

"Would you really do that?" she wondered.

"For you, anything," and I meant every word.

When Charlie called upstairs a while later, I stood, knowing I'd have to leave for a while. I tucked the CD case into my waistband, and the pictures into my back pocket. "I'll see you soon," I told Bella, bending down to give her a kiss.

***

"He's back," Savannah teased when I got home.

"Savannah, be nice to your brother," mom suggested. "Hello, dear. How did your dinner go?"

"It was a big hit. Thanks for the steak recipe. Bella would like it if you're willing to share."

"Of course. She seemed very sweet when your dad and I met her on Friday. We'd enjoy getting to know her a little better."

"Okay, what did you have in mind?" I'd known this was going to happen. It wasn't as if I wanted to keep them apart, but I'd just been enjoying having Bella all to myself.

"What about inviting her for dinner in a couple days?"

"I'll ask her and see."

I retreated to my room, and tucked the photos into one of my books. I opened the CD case, and removed the disc, transferring it to my CD player. The first song was some kind of lullaby, and I wondered if it was the one Bella had mentioned, the one he'd written for her. The next song was very different, tempestuous instead of soothing. I didn't recognize any of the songs on the CD; granted, my tastes didn't generally run to the classics—I preferred alternative rock groups like Death Cab for Cutie and Muse—but I ought to have at least recognized something. Could he have written everything on this homemade album?

***

Bella was agreeable, and came over Wednesday evening. I hadn't been above bribing my siblings for good behavior. My mom really outdid herself with a big Italian dinner, which Bella seemed to enjoy. Afterwards, we decided to play games.

At the beginning, Bella had seemed a little hesitant in the face of the twins' energy, but had relaxed enough over the course of dinner to suggest that Savannah and Drew each pick out a game for us to play. Savannah picked Jenga ® and Drew picked Monopoly ®. Bella proved to be a sneaky player, and ended up in control of the board before any of us saw it coming.

When Bella stepped into the bathroom, Savannah leaned against me and whispered, "I like your girlfriend, Jared."

"Thanks, Savi," I whispered back, "I like her, too."

"She puts up with you, so she's got to be something," Drew smirked. Mom and I both gave him warning looks, and he wisely decided against saying more. Before I took her home, I showed her my room—only fair since I spent so much time in hers. I'd made a point of cleaning up more than I usually did. She looked over my small collection of books, my larger selection of graphic novels, and my CD's.

"I had a good time tonight, thank you," she told me before I dropped her off. As I drove away, I considered the week. Family dinners, check. Solo and group dates, coming up.

***

Thanks to everyone who voted in my "Embry's dad" poll. The results will appear in an upcoming chapter.

I've put up a new poll on whether or not Jacob should get an imprint. If you have specific suggestions, you could include them in a review or a PM.


	18. First Date

AN: Thanks for all of the reviews and support so far for this story. I'm glad that so many people are enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Reviews are food to a writer's soul, so even if it's a simple "good job", I'd love to hear what you think.

I've redone the poll on Jacob's imprinting, so if you voted on the old one, this one is different. If you have specific ideas that aren't listed, you can let me know via a review or PM.

I still don't own Twilight, but I am the proud owner of the New Moon DVD. So can't wait for Eclipse.

***

Bella POV

Friday morning, I called Angela in a slight panic. My date with Jared was a day away, and I couldn't figure out what to wear. It had never been a big issue with Edward; he and I had never really done the traditional "dating", spending most of our time at the Cullens' home. Our only two "real" dates had been the dinner at Bella Italia and prom, neither of which had been planned on my part.

"Don't worry, Bella," Angela reassured me. "I'll come right over and help you out. I'll bring some of my things over too, to give you more options. You're welcome to borrow anything."

"But—"

"Bella, I'll leave my date outfit at home, so you won't be taking anything I was planning to wear. And," she continued, no doubt sensing my next objection, "even if you borrow something of mine and Ben were to recognize it, which isn't at all a certain thing, he'd be too good-mannered to say anything."

***

I looked through the bag of things that Angela had brought, but nothing grabbed me. Nothing was special enough to wear for Jared. I sighed.

"Well, we could always drive into Port Angeles and check out some of the stores there," she suggested from her spot in the rocking chair.

I rolled my eyes at her. Angela knew full well my opinion of that particular activity. She grinned.

"Wait," I had a sudden idea. The weather forecast for tomorrow was supposed to be abnormal for late March: sunny skies and a near-record temperature in the upper 60's. Digging through my closet, I managed to unearth a white-eyelet blouse. I'd worn it the day I'd come to Forks last year, and only one time since—the weather just wasn't warm enough here to wear it as much as I had in Phoenix. But tomorrow's forecast, plus a boyfriend who ran a constant 108* made me decide to pull it out. I sniffed, and knew that I'd have to run it through the wash today. I held it up for Angela to see.

"Perfect," she agreed. "Try it with this," she held up a light green knee-length skirt embroidered with small yellow flowers. A pair of safe white ballet flats would complete the outfit.

"I wish I could be here to see his face when he sees you," Angela said, a bit wistfully.

"I'll try to remember his expression, or you could ask him. He'd probably tell you."

***

Saturday morning, I slipped downstairs for a little breakfast while Charlie was in the shower. I knew that spending time with him this morning would only make me more nervous than I already was. He'd already said that he wasn't going fishing today. Basketball tournament games to watch. I'd thought about mentioning that the games weren't starting until the afternoon, but opted not to. I knew it would be pointless; he just wanted to be here to see me off.

***

Jared's reaction when he saw me was one to thrill Angela if she's seen it—and she would get the chance, courtesy of the picture Charlie took before I noticed him behind me.

"Its okay, Bella," Jared chuckled. "The guys will get a laugh out of it when they see it. I'll be interested to see the look on my face just then, too."

Oh, his face was nice alright, and so was the rest of him from head to toe. He'd clearly put some extra effort into his appearance today, just as I had. Crisp khaki pants and a button-down polo shirt. He held out a small bouquet of flowers. I took them and sniffed; not too much of a scent actually.

"Thank you, Jared," I smiled at him, "What kind are they?" I didn't know much about flowers, just that these had yellow petals and black-brown centers.

"They're Black-eyed Susans," he told me. "They reminded me of miniature sunflowers."

I reached up on my toes, using my free hand to pull him close enough to kiss him in appreciation. A little noise behind me made me turn to realize that Charlie was still there, and bright red. _Oops, first time he's seen his daughter kiss a guy._

"Let me get these in some water and then I'll be ready to go." I disappeared into the kitchen for a minute to find a vase and fill it with water.

"Bye, dad," I told Charlie as we headed out. "I'll see you later." As I passed him, I snagged back my camera. Renee had given it to me for my birthday, to memorialize my senior year, but it had only been used to record the dying breaths of my relationship with Edward. _Past time it was put to its proper use, _I thought.

***

Jared POV

"I'll have her back by 11," I told him.

He nodded and headed for the living room as I pulled the door shut. He'd given me a look when Bella had gone to take care of her flowers. I'd shrugged a little, knowing it was because of the kiss. But he hadn't said anything—he knew she'd been the one to initiate it. Still, I was once again grateful that he knew nothing about our nocturnal activities. It made me wonder, just a little, about Bella's relationship with that Cullen. Charlie's reaction now made me suspect they hadn't been demonstrative in front of him, but in private? Had he kissed her more than the time Jake had seen? Had there been more? I didn't know, and part of me didn't want to, but it was something we would have to face before things went much further between Bella and me. Then I gave myself a swift kick in the ass. _Why_ _in the world_ was I thinking about him when I was with her?

"You look absolutely beautiful," I told her sincerely, watching her cheeks blush rosy-pink. It had taken me a few minutes to get my thoughts back into some kind of order after seeing her open the door. Her delicate lacy top and flirty skirt had made me gulp to keep from drooling; I was going to have to avoid remembering that the next time I phased, or Paul would latch onto it and torture me for...well, forever if he could. She had looked so amazing that she had literally knocked the breath right out of me.

"Thank you," she whispered, and my heart thrilled to hear her accept my compliment.

Once in my car, she flipped though the stack of CD's I'd pulled, and popped one into the in-dash player. The beat of the latest Muse album soon came out of the speakers, and Bella adjusted the volume so that it was audible but not a bar to conversation.

My arm was resting on the center console, and Bella's hand was on top of mine. Her fingers were running up and down my arm, and I could swear her touch was burning right through my skin. On one trip, her fingers went past my elbow and up to my shoulder where they lingered.

"I can't believe I haven't asked this yet, but what's the significance of your tattoo? Since all of you have it, I'm guessing it has something to do with the pack, but I'm not sure exactly what." Bella said.

I glanced in the rearview mirror, and then began to slow the car, pulling onto the shoulder of the road. Once I'd brought the car to a stop and put in it park, I turned toward Bella, and pushed up the sleeve of my shirt to expose my tattoo. "It is representative of our pack, you're right. It relates to our tribal legends, like the ones you heard at the bonfire." I traced the design inked into my skin, marking the semi-hidden elements. "Two wolves, facing each other. It's hard to really put into words, but the idea is 'strength in togetherness'. However strong each of us might be alone, we're exponentially stronger together. That's what a pack is all about. We're a kind of fraternity, a brotherhood, and this is a visible symbol of that bond."

She loosened her seatbelt enough so that she could lean over and press her lips to my skin, moving over my tattoo. "I'm glad you have them and they have you."

"Me too," I leaned closer to her and claimed her lips in a deep kiss. Much though I would have liked to stay there all day, we did have plans that I didn't want us to miss out on. I reluctantly let her go, and put the car back into gear.

***

Once we got into Port Angeles, I found a parking lot convenient to both the gallery and the movie theater. As I guided her to the gallery, we walked in step, literally hip-to-hip, arms around each other's waists. I didn't see how life could get much better than this.

We strolled around the building, and I pointed things out to Bella. A brightly colored carved wolf headdress. A woven cedar rain hat. A carved wolf mask, woven baskets, wool blankets (from the fur of a special breed of dog the tribe had once bred, and stick games.

"I guess you weren't kidding about wolves being important to the tribe." Bella whispered.

I shook my head.

"It's so amazing how everything is so natural."

"That's something that's true of all native peoples, more so than the pale-faces. We've always believed in using what nature provides for us."

After exhausting the gallery, we headed outside to walk around for a while. We had some time left before the others would be joining us. Bella's grasp on my hand tightened when she saw an electronics store.

"Jared, we've got to get that recorder for Emily, remember?"

"Right. You want to see what they've got? We'll probably be having another bonfire soon, now that Quil's joined up."

At her nod, we headed into the store. "We need a couple of digital recorders," I told the salesclerk.

"What would you like to be able to do with them?" he asked.

"My sister is working to record our tribal stories. I'm sure there's a better and faster way than using pen and paper like she has been. Do you have anything that might work?"

He led us over to a display and pointed out a couple of models.

"I'm looking for something that would be easy for her to learn and to use."

"I'd recommend this one, then," he picked one up.

"Okay, I'll take two of them. My girlfriend should have one too."

"Jared," Bella tried to protest.

"This way you won't have to borrow Emily's."

She leaned in to give me a hug. "Thank you."

I made the purchase, and we turned for the door. As I opened it for Bella, I heard the clerk mutter, "Some guys have all the luck." I wasn't able to smother a smug grin. Leaning down closer to Bella, I whispered, "I am very luck indeed."

"Me too," she whispered back.

Detouring back to my car to drop off the bag, we then headed to the restaurant. We sat waiting for the others, not talking, just enjoying being together.

"Sorry we kept you waiting," a voice brought me back to reality. I opened my eyes to see that Embry and Kim, and Ben and Angela had arrived.

"That's okay. We were fine waiting." I dismissed it.

"I can tell," Angela gave me a knowing glance.

I just grinned back at her. I was glad of this chance to get to know one of Bella's friends. First impression: she was nice. I could see why she and Bella had become friends, and guessed that Kim would probably fit in well.

At the table, we all opened our menus. "So, anything look good?" I asked Bella.

"Too much," she admitted. "Tamales, enchiladas, quesadillas…Everything looks good. How in the world am I supposed to choose?"

The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Well, why don't you pick whatever you want; I'm sure the three of us can eat whatever you don't," I gestured to Embry and Ben.

After ordering, we settled into getting to know one another better.

"What years are you?" Ben asked us res kids.

"Kim and I are seniors, and Embry's a sophomore," I answered.

"What do you think you'll do after graduation?" Angela wanted to know. Sensitive subject, and not one that the two Forks kids could really know about.

"Not sure," I admitted, which was true enough in its way. "My parents run the store on the res, so I might just work there for a while until I figure things out."

"I've applied to a few state schools," Kim shared, "I think I'd like to be a teacher, probably in the reservation school." Not something I'd known about her; still, I could see it—she'd be the kind of teacher that all the kids loved.

"You two?" I turned the question around.

"I'm thinking U of W for engineering," Ben said.

"Art for me," Angela shared. "That, and a twin-less environment. I've got twin younger brothers," she told me, seeing my confusion.

"Me too, well, accept that it's a brother and sister in my case."

"Wow."

"I've still got time," Embry said, "which is good, because I don't have a clue yet."

"Don't worry," Bella assured him, "things will make more sense when you get there."

When our food arrived, we pushed the dishes to the middle of the table, and used extra plates to fill with our buffet-style meal, which I was happy to note Bella thoroughly enjoyed.

The girls decided to visit the restroom before we headed to the movie theater, so I seized the opportunity to ask Ben some questions.

"What were they like together?" I asked.

He didn't pretend not to understand what I meant. "What has she told you?" he hedged.

"Not much. She doesn't like to talk about him, about any of them, and I don't want to force her to." I hoped that would explain things and ease any conscience-issues.

"It's hard to describe. Her first day, they were partnered in Biology, and Mike said later that it was like Cullen'd been poked with a cattle prod or something—he acted totally weird. Then, he vanished for like a week. It honestly was like a roller coaster: he'd pay attention to her one day, then ignore her for a while; save her life, then pretend she didn't exist."

"What?" Embry and I both zeroed in on that.

"Yeah, bunch of us were in the parking lot right before school. Icy roads, and Tyler took a turn way too fast. Spun out and was heading right for Bella's truck. Cullen pushed her out of the way; she probably would have been crushed otherwise." My heart almost froze to hear this. To imagine that I might never have found her...

"It was odd, because no one really remembered him being over there with her, yet he had to have been." Ben mused. Oh, I knew, alright: vampire speed. Though I did have to wonder why he'd apparently thrown caution and discretion to the wind that way--not that I was complaining.

"Then..." Ben trailed off, as he caught sight of the girls coming back toward the table.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked, as she came up next to me.

I tugged her hand, pulling her just far enough off-balance that she ended up sitting on my lap. "Nope, I like it right here." She blushed, but laid her head down on my shoulder. Angela grinned at me, and I grinned back.

***

At the theater, I handed Bella some cash to get us some snacks at the concession stand, while I stood in line for our tickets. Angela and Embry were with me, while Ben and Kim went with Bella.

"So what did you get out of Ben?" Angela asked me. I tried, apparently without success, to look innocent.

"What?"

She gave me a tolerant look. "I know you were asking him about Bella and Edward Cullen. What did he tell you?"

"Just about the beginning, and him saving her life. What happened after that?"

"I think he was ignoring her, and then they ended up in Port Angeles together. Bella came with Jessica and me to look for prom dresses. She wasn't going, but we wanted her to come shopping anyway. She left us to run over to a bookstore, and was gone a long time. A really long time," she realized. "We bought our dresses, went to the restaurant, and ended up eating. We were just leaving when she showed up, and he was with her. Said they'd run into each other by accident and gotten talking. We left, and they stayed so she could eat something. The next morning, his siblings drove to school without him, and then he showed up with Bella--gave her a ride to school. They were pretty much inseparable after that: before and after school, lunch. When she broke her leg, his sister Alice helped her all the time. They probably spent most of the summer together, and this year, they had pretty much identical class schedules before he left. I think he pretty much became her whole world, so her reaction to their move does make some sense."

"Was he good to her? Good for her?"

She thought for a moment. "No, I don't really think so. It was almost like an addiction or an obsession. It wasn't healthy--especially with how she reacted to losing him." She regarded me intently. "I think that you're so much better for her than he was--I've never seen her as happy as she's been in the last couple weeks."

"Has it really only been two weeks? It seems like I've known her forever." And it really did. Two weeks? It didn't seem possible that I hadn't known her, loved her, for longer than that.

"Really."

***

We settled into our seats as the previews started to run. Despite Ben's preference for action movies, we had opted to pick a more girl-friendly movie. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that we had all realized the personal benefit to doing so.

Despite the hindrance of the armrest, Bella was as close to me as she could be. Her head was on my shoulder, and my cheek rested on the top of her head. One of my arms was behind her shoulders, and the fingers on my other hand were intertwined with hers.

The romantic climax to the movie saw Bella moving her head, lifting her face up toward mine. In a breathy voice only audible to my wolf-keen hearing, she whispered, "Kiss me." I was more than happy to comply. Neither of us noticed when the credits started to roll and the lights came up.

"Thought all the action was supposed to be on the screen," Embry teased. I freed one hand from its entanglement in Bella's hair to flip a rude gesture at him, while maintaining contact with Bella's luscious lips. Everyone else laughed. Neither one of us was happy to let go, and we quickly had our arms around each other as we walked outside and back to our cars in the parking lot.

"I had a really good time tonight," Angela said. "Bella, thanks for thinking of this."

"So did I," Kim agreed. "We'll have to do something like this again sometime."

"Hey, what about another beach trip like last year," Ben suggested.

"I'll mention it to the guys," I said. "We'd be up for it."

"I'm not ready for today to be over. Anyone up for ice cream before we head home?" Bella asked.

We all were, so we headed for a nearby ice cream parlor. I got mint, and Bella chose chocolate. Seeing her eye my cone, I extended it with a silent offer. Rather than taking a lick from the side nearest her, as I expected, she rotated my hand so that my side of the cone was facing and took a lick from there. My blood literally sizzled through my veins.

Pretty soon, we had to call it a night. I really didn't want to mess things up with Bella's dad, bringing her home late on our first date.

Back in Forks, I turned off my car with the greatest reluctance. Even though I'd be back soon to spend the night with Bella, I still didn't want to leave her, even for a little while. Today had been so amazing; Bella wasn't the only one who didn't want the day to end. The porch light was on, and I was betting that Charlie Swan was watching us, so I kept my goodbye kiss a whole lot tamer than I really wanted to.

"I had a great time today, Bella."

"So did I. Thanks for asking me," she replied.

"Come down to La Push tomorrow?" I inquired.

"Sure. Angela and I are meeting up in the morning, but I can come down after that."

"Ah, post-date rehash?"

"Of course," Bella grinned. "You know she was analyzing everything."

"Then I'll say goodbye for now." I leaned down for one more kiss, then turned and took a jump off the porch. Any obvious celebration would have to wait until I was out of sight.

***

Well, there it is: the first date. I hope you enjoyed it. Longer than usual chapter, but they were having so much fun that I couldn't cut it short. Jared really took over this chapter, but we should hear Bella's perspective next chapter. Love to hear what you think.


	19. Conversations

Bella POV

I shut the door behind me, and had to lean against it for a moment. It never ceased to amaze me, the mixture of weakness and strength I felt when kissing Jared, like I was sinking and soaring at the same time.

"That you, Bells?" Charlie called from the living room. Like he didn't know.

"Yeah," I called back, grateful that my voice sounded normal.

He appeared in the doorway. "Have a good time?"

"We did," I agreed. Charlie nodded.

"I took your flowers up to your room. Figured you'd want them there."

"Thanks, dad." I glanced at my watch. "It was a long day, so I think I'll go ahead and get ready for bed."

He gave me a long look. "Okay, Bells, goodnight."

I hurried upstairs, only tripping once, and quickly pulled my bathroom stuff together to take with me. Scrubbed and changed, I waited impatiently for Jared to get back after dropping his car off. I figured he'd be a little longer than usual--at least if his parents were anything like my dad. And my mom. _Eek, Renee's going to flip if she hears I had a date and didn't tell her I've got a new boyfriend._ I quickly turned my computer on, and waited the usual eternity for it to power up. A metallic creaking noise from outside sent me to the window, where I strained to catch what it might have been. Nothing, then a noise like a car door shutting. It seemed closer to my end of the driveway than Charlie's. _Why would he be out by my truck?_

"Planning to go somewhere else tonight?" I whirled to see Jared propped on the window ledge.

"No!" I squeaked in shock.

"Your dad seems to think you were. He disconnected something under your hood."

"Guess he didn't believe me when I said I was going to bed now." I muttered.

"Yeah, mine were a little dubious too," he grinned. He moved toward me, pulling me against his body. Like I had before, I lifted my face up to meet his kiss. Heaven. I didn't even feel him moving, not until I was falling backward onto the bed. Jared came down after me, catching his weight on the hands placed on either side of my body. He was lying directly over me, and I could feel his body's reaction to our proximity, and wondered vaguely if it was anything like the tingling burn in my own. His lips again met mine, and his tongue began to plunder my mouth.

"Jared…" I gasped, with what little air I had left.

Breathing as heavily as I was, he pulled back and looked at me. "Damn it," he swore softly. "I'm doing it again, aren't I? Pushing too far." He rolled over until he was lying beside me. "I'm sorry, Bella, truly." And his eyes were full of apology.

I reached over to touch his arm. "Jared, love," I added shyly, "it's not that I don't _want _to—I think I might, someday. I'm just not ready for that yet."

He reached over and stroked a finger down my cheek. "I know, Bella, sweet Bella. In all honesty, I'm not truly ready either. When—if—this happens, it should be when we're both ready and because we both want it. Now, before my little fumble, how did I do today?"

It made me smile to see that he was honestly uncertain, as if my answer would set the seal on things. I turned over so that I could reach to kiss his jaw, his cheek, and then his lips. "I had a wonderful time today. You did very well."

"I love you, Bella," he told me, as he tucked me close to his side and we fell asleep.

***

It wasn't until I woke up as Jared slipped out, that I remembered my intention last night to email Renee. After waking my computer up, I logged into my email account, to find a message from her. Good grief, did Charlie have to tell her everything?

_Bella,_

_Charlie told me you had a date today. And you didn't tell me? Anyway, email me as soon as you get this. I want details. Name, age, what he looks like, where he lives, what he does, what you did, everything. I'm so happy for you._

_Love, mom_

Okay, time to get this over with. And I'd probably be less embarrassed doing this in an email than in person or even over the phone.

_Mom,_

_Sorry. This has happened really fast; my head's still spinning. His name is Jared, he's 18 like me. He lives down at La Push. Black hair, black eyes, tall, built like an athlete. He's about to graduate high school, just like I am. He plans to work at his parents' store for a while before going to college._

_We spent the day in Port Angeles. There was a showing of Native art that he wanted to show me, then we met up with some of our friends for dinner and a movie. We had a good time._

_Have to go, mom. I'm meeting Angela for brunch._

_Love, Bella_

***

Angela and I met, as arranged, at the little café in town.

"I wish there were other places to eat," she mused, as she glanced at the menu.

"No argument here. Steak, burgers, fries, and cobbler get real old real fast." I agreed.

"So…" Angela purred. "How was your date?"

"You were there for half of it," I laughed, "How do you think it went?"

"Very well, based on the finale to the movie," she teased. "Definitely stepping out there, Bella."

I blushed a little. "He makes me forget everything when he does that," I confessed.

"And that's bad?" she didn't sound like she believed that.

"No, it's not bad—not unless Charlie's there. Jared kissed me when he got there, and I about thought Charlie would combust, he was blushing so much. And that kiss was tame compared to some of them."

"Have you…? No, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," she rushed on.

"I don't mind; in fact, I'd be grateful for someone to talk to."

"Whatever you want to tell me stays between us, Bella. You have my word." Angela promised.

"We haven't…yet. I'm not ready for that. I've only known him for a couple weeks, even though it seems like I've known him forever."

"He's not pushing you, is he?"

"No, of course not!" I defended Jared. "In fact, he's practically bending over backwards to _not_ push me. It's just…my parents got married right out of high school, had me a year later, and were divorced by the time I was five. Mom's always preached at me that I have time to grow up. She doesn't think I should get married before I'm 30." I rolled my eyes a little at that.

"You know what's right for you and what isn't, Bella," Angela told me. "Early marriage and family didn't work out for your parents, true, but that's not to say it wouldn't work out for you. You and Jared aren't your parents, or his, or anyone else but yourselves."

She hesitated a moment. "But, could you see it being with him, when it happens? Any of it?"

"I think I can see that," I admitted. "I love him so much already, it's almost scary. And yet it's the most comforting thing in the world, too."

"Comforting?" Angela looked confused.

"With Edward…I never felt like I deserved someone like him. And there was always a distance, so much of himself that he wouldn't share. With Jared…everything he says and does almost shouts how important I am to him. He's so open about everything; I've gotten to know him better in two weeks than I knew Edward in more than six months."

"He does seem very focused on you," she agreed. "Not in a stalkerish way, but just absorbed. Like you said, you're important to him and he doesn't care who knows it. Now," she leaned closer, "I know how he arrived, but how did he leave?"

I smiled, thinking back to yesterday.

(flashback)

"Okay, Bella, spill," Angela stood with her back to the restroom door. "How did he react?"

In answer, I held out the camera I'd retrieved from my purse, thumbing the dial to view the pictures. I watched Angela and Kim as they examined the picture Charlie had taken. He'd been standing behind and to the side of me, so he'd gotten my back and a full view of Jared. His face, I knew, bore an expression of utter adoration.

"That guy is totally gone on you," Angela decreed.

(end flashback)

"Walked me to the door, and another mild kiss. Topped off with a jump off the porch."

"He's a good one, Bella. Don't let him get away."

"I don't plan to."

***

Jared POV

The pack was hanging out at Sam and Emily's as usual. And, as just as I had predicted, they really enjoyed seeing the picture of me.

"Just you wait," I warned Jacob, Paul, and Quil—the only wolves without imprints. "One day it'll happen to you and I will gladly return the favor."

"Sure, sure," Jake scoffed. Sam, Embry, and I exchanged knowing looks. These guys didn't know what was going to hit them. And I, for one, was going to enjoy watching it.

"Forks kids want another beach trip," I announced, changing the subject.

"Saturday would work," Sam decided. "We'll have another bonfire on Friday, and welcome Quil in officially."

"Can't wait," Quil grinned.

"Bella, would you want to spend the night down here?" Kim asked her.

She looked thoughtful. "I haven't done a sleepover in…I don't know how long. Sounds like fun."

Embry and I exchanged glances. We both knew where we'd be Friday night.

***

The next week passed with a mixture of speed and slowness. Speed whenever I was with Bella, and slowness whenever I wasn't.

Just like a couple weeks earlier, I picked Bella up from school before the bonfire. And like before, I couldn't resist giving them a show. I didn't doubt that at least some of our audience was planning to come down to First Beach tomorrow purely to try and figure me out.

"Got your recorder?" I asked Bella. We were planning to make a big presentation of the digital recorder to Emily.

"Yep," she nudged her backpack. "Right here."

***

"Hey, Emily," I called as we got close. "I'm about to become one of your favorite people."

"You brought Bella, so you're right."

I laughed. "For a reason other than bringing you another cook."

"Alright, then, why exactly are you going to become my favorite?" Emily inquired.

"This," and I handed her the gift bag Bella had been carrying.

Emily opened it and drew out the box. "Oh," she breathed. "Sam, look!"

"This way you can absorb the stories, not just listen to the words." I explained.

Emily threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you, Jared."

"It was Bella's idea," I wanted to be sure that credit went where it was due. Emily obligingly transferred her embrace to Bella, and I glanced over at Sam. I got a nod of approval.

As with everything else since he'd become a wolf, Quil was thrilled to get to hear the stories, knowing the truth behind them.

When Old Quil again came to the end of his tale, I was distracted by Bella nudging me and tilting her head slightly in Embry's direction. I casually glanced over to see that his face was a mixture of emotions. Pride, wistfulness, anger, pain. _The descendants of Taha Aki…_ I knew then, more than ever, that Bella had been right earlier on. However uncomfortable for us the truth might be, it was nothing less than what Embry deserved. How could we sit here and claim pride in our heritage while denying the fullness of that heritage to one of our brothers? I made up my mind to talk to Sam the first chance I got. Somehow, we owed Embry an answer.

***

AN: Still don't own Twilight; wish I did--or at least just Jared . Thought about carrying this on through the beach day, but I think this is a good stopping point. I'd love to know what you think. Sleepover and beach are next. My new Jacob imprint poll is up. I'd like to know what you think of that too.


	20. Fun in the Sun

AN: Thanks so much to all of my reviewers. It means a lot to know what you think of my story. And also thanks to everyone who's put me on Favorite or Story/Author alert. To my reviewer alice=all=the=way: Regarding your question: I can't give much away, but "maybe".

I hope the sleepover and beach day live up to expectations.

Bella POV

Embry and Jared walked Kim and I over to her house after the bonfire. Jared pulled me into the shadow of a tree, wrapping his arms around me and breathing deeply. "I'm glad you're going to have fun with Kim tonight, but a part of me wishes you were at home so I could be with you."

I laid my head against his chest, listening to the quick beating of his heart. "Me too," I admitted. "I'm so used to sleeping next to you—it'll be different not to. But I'll see you first thing in the morning, and we'll have all day tomorrow to have fun." I stretched up on my tiptoes, feeling daring enough to press kisses to his chest on my way up.

He lifted me up and claimed my mouth, a favor I quickly returned. He groaned as he let me back down to the ground. "You'd better go now, while I still have the willpower to let you. Until tomorrow, Bella." One more quick kiss, and he and Embry were gone. Kim and I just stood there for a moment.

"Is Jared as good a kisser as Embry?" Kim asked, once we were in her room.

"I don't know—I've never kissed Embry," I managed. "But Jared is…amazing. It's so indescribable: exciting, soothing, comforting, thrilling. Makes me forget everyone and everything—like we're completely alone in the world. Did you ever watch the movie _Star Trek: _Insurrection?" I asked her.

"I don't know. Which one was it?" she asked.

"It was the one where this planet gives eternal youth and might get destroyed. Anyway, the captain meets this woman who asks him if he's ever had a perfect moment: one where time seems to stop and that he could stay in forever. That's what kissing Jared is like. Is it that way for you with Embry?"

"I'm not sure yet. We're still easing into things."

"I wonder," I said, thoughtfully, "if the imprint has something to do with it. If we are destined to be with them, maybe the physical is even more powerful with them than with someone else."

Kim pondered that for a moment. "I guess it could help make things a little easier, if you're right about that."

I looked over at her. "Are things going okay otherwise?"

"It's a little hard sometimes, or maybe that's just how I perceive it, to be with someone younger than me. I'm not sure what's going to happen."

"I know what you mean. With this big cloud hanging over us, it's hard to think long-term. I guess I'm just taking life one day at a time." I admitted.

Ready for bed, if not for sleep, we sprawled out and kept talking.

"Nobody's really said, but how did you and Jared get together?" Kim wanted to know.

"Well, Jake and I had been hanging out for a while, but then he started to change and avoided me. I kept calling and leaving messages, but Billy just brushed me off. After a couple weeks, I got so fed up that I decided to go over and not leave till I talked to him. He told me to leave, blamed the Cullens for everything. Jake came by my house that night; said he was sorry, but literally _couldn't_ tell me what was going on. But then he told me that I already knew, if I could just remember. Later that night, I did. He'd told me some stories during the beach trip last year. I'd only remembered the parts about the Cullens, though. I drove down to La Push in the morning, but Jake was still sleeping. Then I saw the other guys outside, and stormed out to confront them. Maybe not the smartest thing to have done, but I just didn't care, to be honest. I said something they thought was funny, they laughed, and I slapped Paul. Of course, he phased. I was backing away when I looked at Jared and he imprinted. He went after Paul, protecting me. It took a while for me to really accept the imprint, but now I can't imagine not having it." I took a deep breath after this lengthly Cliff's Notes version.

"Wow," she managed.

"Yeah, my life's just full of drama. From the day I moved here."

"Why did you come?" she asked.

"My mom remarried, and her new husband plays minor-league baseball. Mom wanted to travel with him, but she couldn't because of me. So I came to live with my dad. I hated the idea to begin with: it's so green and cool and wet here—so different from brown, hot, and dry Phoenix. But now, I can't think of why I'd want to be anywhere else." I was a little surprised at how true that was now. My present circumstances almost made everything I'd gone through to get here worthwhile.

"And you met them—the Cullens—right away?"

I nodded. "Edward was in my Biology class. He bounced back and forth between paying attention to me and avoiding me—gave me whiplash."

"Had they been here for a while by then?"

"They'd been back for a couple years before I got here."

"Why did they come back?"

"A couple reasons, I think." I smiled faintly. "The weather, mainly. It's about perfect for them to live 'normally', like, well, humans. They liked being able to be out in the daytime, and not having to be like movie vampires and only come out at night."

"Why?" Kim was curious.

"Well…they kind of sparkle in the sunlight. Pretty conspicuous."

"Okay…" she was clearly dubious. "But weather or no weather, why come back knowing the wolves were here too?"

"The pack didn't return until after they came back," Jared's quiet voice made us jump. We twisted our heads to see that he was leaning in the window, Embry visible over his shoulder. They slipped noiselessly into the room, mindful of Kim's sleeping family nearby.

"That's in the stories too," Embry reminded. "We phase _because_ their kind are around; a reaction, not pre-emptive."

"They thought the pack was gone, the ability lost, so coming back didn't seem to be a problem—they didn't know the pack could come back, that they would trigger things," I spoke quietly.

"How can you be sure?" Jared queried.

"Edward said so, the day he and I came home and Jake and Billy were waiting. He knew Billy knew what he was, but said that 'the child has no idea'."

"'The child'?" both guys snorted.

"He's 109," I shrugged. "Anyone's young in comparison,"

"What are you doing here?" Kim blurted out to the guys.

Jared looked a little embarrassed. "I spend nights with Bella, have almost from the beginning. Can't seem to stay away tonight after all."

Two pairs of eyebrows practically hit the hairline. _"You what!?"_ both of them exclaimed in whispers.

I nodded. "I used to have nightmares every night. Since Jared's been with me, I haven't."

"I started out just watching her house in wolf-form. But the one night Sam told me to stay home and sleep, she had another nightmare. I've stayed every night since then."

"As a wolf?" Kim asked.

We both shook our heads.

"In her room?" Kim began to grin.

Jared's grin echoed hers. "Yep."

"Do I want to know any more?" she asked.

I was lightly blushing, but said, "Let's just say that I haven't had to worry about getting cold at night."

"Oh-ho," she giggled. "Well, Bella, I can offer you an electric blanket tonight if you need one."

"I think I'll be okay. It'll probably be enough just to know he's out there." Disregarding our audience, Jared gave me a deep kiss. "Yeah, think I'll be okay," I mumbled.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered, as he tucked me into bed.

"You too,"

"Dreams of you are always sweet." In the blink of an eye, the guys were back out the window and gone.

***

When I woke in the morning, I was relieved that my night had been undisturbed by nightmares. Kim and I were ready early, eager to spend the day with our guys. The weather was absolutely perfect for spring, and not typical for the Pacific Northwest. It was a near-perfect repeat of our date day, with temperatures forecast for near 70* and with a clear blue sky dotted with a few fluffy white clouds.

"This is absolutely gorgeous," I commented to Jared as we walked away from Kim's house.

"You certainly are," he agreed.

The pack and imprints met up at the Mahans' store, and walked toward the parking area at the beach. We got there shortly before the caravan from Forks arrived. I was pleased to see Angela and Ben, less so to see Mike, Tyler, and Eric, and not at all to see Jessica and Lauren. The others, I really didn't know or care to.

A few people decided to head to the tide pools, and a couple decided to paddle out on belly boards, but I opted to stay on the beach with most of the others. The pack had fallen into their usual routine—almost. Jake and Paul were moving slower than normal as they tossed grapes for each other to catch in their mouths. And of course, the conversations more guarded, as no one wanted to let anything suspicious slip out in front of outsiders.

Jared and I were lying on a blanket spread out on the sand. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun and of his body next to mine. Something cool and moist and sticky began tracing along my lips. I parted them to catch the tangy flavor of oranges. I bit down when the slice dipped into my mouth, savoring the taste. And it all repeated again and again.

"Who knew eating oranges could be so sexy?" Angela managed.

I opened my eyes to find Jared's black eyes gazing back down at me. An exchange of smiles, and he bent his head to kiss away the remnants of orange juice from my lips.

As usual, things heated up quickly between us. I didn't even realize it when I pulled him closer to me, or when he rolled us over so that I was on top. A cold sensation on my neck and back made me jerk back, to discover that someone had dropped an ice cube down the back of my shirt. And that we had a gobsmacked audience watching us. I could feel my face heating up some, but I actually wasn't too embarrassed to realize that my school friends had gotten to see a whole new side of me than they were used to.

We disentangled ourselves, and Jared helped me get the ice cube out. We grabbed some snacks and drinks, and seated ourselves more conventionally on a piece of driftwood, me on Jared's lap. He was pressing kisses to the sensitive skin on the back of my neck; a form of torture for both of us, as the sensations were making me squirm on his lap. Embry was on a blanket beside Kim until Quil ran up behind him and dumped sand on his head. In a flash, Embry was up and after him. I could feel Jared shaking with amusement.

"Go on, go after them," I told him.

"You sure?" he asked, even as he helped me up.

"Go ahead, have some fun."

I sat back down, and watched as Jared tore off down the beach after his friends. Quil went down thanks to a flying tackle from Jared. Kim and I shared an amused glance.

"How old are they?" she asked. We sat watching the guys really let loose and have fun. It was so good to get to see them acting like the teenagers they were for a change. The wolf stuff wasn't bad, but it had made them grow up so much faster than they would have otherwise.

I looked up when I felt someone come up next to me. Jacob.

"Hey, Bella," Jacob said. "I thought we could maybe talk for a bit."

"Sure, Jake. Anything in particular?"

"Well, I guess we haven't really talked about everything that's happened, have we?" he said, as we started walking along the beach.

"No, I don't suppose we have," I admitted. I'd realized that a while back, but hadn't been sure how to bring it up. "Guess we probably should, huh?"

He didn't seem eager to start, and I was reminded of one of our conversations about age, be it physical, emotional, mental, or metaphysical. For all his size, strength, and general maturity, Jacob _was_ still only 16.

"So back that first day, when you started shaking, it was because you'd figured out Jared imprinted on me?" I asked, both to get things going, and because I'd been wanting to know.

A nod.

"Why?"

"Because I was jealous as hell that it wasn't _me_! It made me mad to have spent so long trying to bring you back to life, only to have you snatched away from me, forever that time."

"Jake, I'm sorry," and I was, in a way, "but I think that things are better this way, that we're just meant to be friends. That's something that I _do_ need from you, that only you can give me."

He looked up, and seemed more settled than he had a few minutes ago. "Yeah, I can do that."

"You're important to me, Jake, you have to know that. It's just that you're important in a very different way than Jared is. And you will find someone, I'm sure of it. She'll be much better for you than I could ever have been. You helped me so much, but it was for Jared to finish healing me."

"I did realize it; just a blow to my pride, that's all. I really do want you to be happy, Bella. And if Jared's who you want, then I'm happy for you. Just so he treats you right," Jacob admonished. I blushed as I remembered just how well Jared had been treating me. Jake saw, and threw up his arm reflexively, as if warding something off.

"No details," he pleaded. "Jared's been really great at_not_ sharing, so don't _you_start!"

"Wasn't planning on it," I'd replied. I'd mostly pushed it out of my mind, what I'd been told about the pack's mental links, not wanting to think about them knowing what Jared and I were doing at night. I'd decided that as long as no one said anything to me about it, we could all just ignore anything they picked up. Still, I was relieved to hear that Jared hadn't been sharing, and they hadn't been asking.

"You are happy, aren't you, Bella?" he asked.

"Very happy," I smiled. Then a moment later I stumbled over a ripple of sand. Jake caught me before I could do a face plant into the beach.

"Watch it there, Bells. Jared won't thank me if you get hurt tripping over the sand."

A shout from far down the beach made us both turn. From what I could tell, someone had just gotten tossed into the surf. Jake grinned at me. "Gotta run, Bells." He raced off, and bowled the other two clean off their feet and into the water. I shook my head, smiling as I turned back the way we'd come. Jake especially deserved some fun, after everything I'd put him through in recent months.

Back with the group, Lauren gave me a nasty look. "Boyfriend losing his appeal?" she sneered. "Dropping him for your old 'friend'? Or do you plan to keep them both?"

I stared at her in shock, unable to believe the unadulterated malice in her voice. She stared back at me, clearly waiting for a response I was incapable of providing. Fortunately, I didn't have to.

"What the hell are you doing?" Paul's voice growled. "How dare you come here and treat one of our friends this way? Someone _you_ supposedly call a friend? Do you have any idea what Jared would do to you if he heard you talk to Bella that way?"

I looked at him incredulously. We'd gotten off on the wrong foot, and I'd found it harder to connect with him than with most of the others. Yet here he was, defending me as if I were his sister, or someone equally precious. I glanced down at his hands, checking to see if his annoyance was getting the better of him, which it fortunately was not.

Ben and Angela also came to my defense. "If you watch Bella and Jared together, you can't doubt how they feel about each other," Ben told her. And Angela said, "Bella hasn't done anything to attract attention. She's not responsible for Edward Cullen not noticing you before she came. And I'm not sure why you seem to resent her having found someone new."

"Problem?" Jared, Embry, Jacob, and Quil had rejoined us, Jared coming up behind me to lay his hands on my shoulders.

"Someone letting their jealousy get the better of them." Paul said, understating things by a mile. I knew why. The rest of the guys would blow their tops if they heard what Lauren had said, while she was still here.

"Invitations here can be granted or not, as we like," Jake warned. "Think about that if you want another one." All of the guys were glaring at her.

Lauren scowled, then turned and stalked away. Jared turned me around to face him. "What was that about?" he asked me.

"Like Paul said, she was jealous," Angela explained. "It's always bugged her, how guys seem to notice Bella. Everyone noticed her when she first moved here, the Cullens included her when they'd always ignored everyone before, and now she's in the middle of the sexiest group of guys in the area."

"Are you okay?" Jared asked me, as he drew me into a hug.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I looked up, so he could see my sincerity. "I don't really care what she thinks. She hasn't really been a friend of mine for a while now. Although, I'm not sure that she ever really was. I'm not going to let her spoil the day."

I was relieved when he let the subject drop, though I suspected that he'd interrogate Paul later. The rest of the afternoon passed with beach games (which I just watched) and a driftwood fire to cook s'mores over. As dusk began to fall, Jared drove me back home.

"I'll be over later tonight," he told me.

"The window will be open," I promised.


	21. Games n things

AN: Chapter's a bit shorter than usual, and more of a filler than normal as well. Hope you like it anyway.

Jared POV

I dropped my car off at home, and headed out. But my path led me not back to Bella's house, but over to Paul's. A tap on the window, and he opened it to slip outside. We headed away from the house, to the concealment of the woods.

"What happened today?" I asked.

"That b—_Lauren_," he spat, "basically accused Bella of cheating on you with Jake."

My body tensed, and my breath hissed through my teeth. "_She what?"_

"You heard me." He shook his head. "I know we don't think the same way girls do, but is she insane or something? I mean, how could she think something like that, just from a walk along the beach, after seeing the sex-show you and Bella put on?"

While I got, and agreed with, his thoughts, his mode of expressing them had me launching a lightning-quick slap to his head.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"Watch your language," I warned. "That's my girlfriend you're talking about here."

"Sorry."

"It's okay, I guess. Thanks for taking care of it for me," I told him.

"Don't mention it. Glad I could help. You gonna ask Bella about it? Betcha ten bucks she downplays it."

"No bet—I don't feel like giving you any money." I agreed with him: Bella would almost certainly insist that that had happened was no big deal. It was one of the lovable, exasperating things about her: that no matter what someone might say or do, she would never retaliate like most people would.

I headed off then to phase and run to Bella's. When I got there, Bella was lying on her bed, reading a book.

"Hey, gorgeous," I told her.

"Jared!" her face lit up to see me again, even though it hadn't been even an hour since I'd said goodbye to her.

We curled up on her bed, and I began to play idly with a curl of her hair.

"Bella, do you know what was up with that girl today on the beach?"

"Lauren?" she knew exactly what I meant.

"Yeah."

"I..."

"Bella, it's not like I'm going to go after her, or anything--unless she deserves it, of course. I just want to know why she hates you so much." And I meant every word. If that b-witch _was_ a threat to Bella, then she _would_ be dealt with. One way or another.

"I think Paul really nailed it: she's jealous, though I can't really figure out why," Bella began.

"Well, when did it start?" A good place to begin, in my opinion.

"Remember my first pack meeting, when I talked about being the 'shiny new toy'? Well, a lot of people were really focused on me. For some reason, that included a lot of the guys. They were being so stupid—ignoring girls who were interested in them, and just paying attention to me, even when I told them I wasn't interested. It was really annoying. I wasn't encouraging them; quite the opposite, in fact." I wasn't about to say so, but I could totally understand why they'd acted that way. Bella's appeal to others wasn't ostentatious, but incredibly compelling. And it was one of her charms that she was totally unconscious of how others saw her.

"Mike, Eric, and Tyler all asked me to prom last year—on the same day and back-to-back no less. I convinced Mike to ask Jessica instead, and Angela asked Eric. Jessica said that Lauren liked Tyler and I guess she blamed me for Tyler not asking her first. Of course, the idiot was only feeling guilty for almost killing me." My heart almost stopped to hear her say that last bit so casually.

"Tyler almost killed you?"

"Did Ben not mention the accident when you two talked last week?"

"That was him?" By some miracle, I somehow managed to keep the volume of my voice down. "He's the idiot who almost crushed you with his van?"

"He didn't mean to," Bella tried to excuse it, but I wasn't going to have it.

"It isn't as if he didn't know better, Bella. If the road conditions were bad, it was his responsibility as a driver to be more careful. He probably doesn't even realize how lucky he was that things happened the way they did, that someone was there to save you. He could have hit a family's minivan, or a crowd of students, or—" Bella cut me off, very effectively, with a kiss.

"He could have," she agreed, "but he didn't. So why worry about it now?" Why indeed?

"I can think of better things to do," I concurred, shifting for a better position to continue kissing her.

***

I left for home early the next morning.

_Have a good time?_ Sam was amused.

_I did, actually._ I replied, doing my best to keep my mind blank. Then, I didn't have to, as I remembered what I did want to talk to him about.

_Sam?_

_Yeah?_

_I think we need to do something about Embry's situation._

_Why?_

_Did you see his face at the bonfire last night? Can't you feel what not knowing the truth is doing to him? This whole thing is like a huge elephant in the room that everyone's trying to pretend isn't even there._

_This isn't your concern_, he told me.

_What affects one of us, affects us all. And one way or another, most of the pack is directly affected. I know I'm on the outside of this, Sam; I won't even pretend to truly understand how you and Jacob and Quil must be feeling about this. But how much longer can you, can all of us, live with this uncertainty? Wouldn't it be better to just find out, so it can be dealt with once and for all?_

His thoughts were guarded. _Thank you for your insight, Jared. I'll consider what you've said, and discuss matters with the other elders to gain their thoughts._

I knew that the issue was closed, so I closed the rest of the distance to home.

***

Bella POV

Before my usual Wednesday dinner with Jared and his family, I made a point of swinging by Sam's house, knowing that most of the pack was likely to be there.

"Hey, Bella, Jared's not here," Paul told me as I walked in.

"I know, I'm actually here for you," I replied.

"Hold on here," Paul's panic was evident, and I had to grin.

"These are for you," I handed him a bag full of chocolate-chocolate chip cookies I'd made the night before.

His eyes lit up, and one hand darted into the bag and pulled out a handful of cookies, which instantly went into his mouth. "Mmmm," Paul mumbled. He swallowed. "I adore you!"

I had to laugh; this was certainly a change. "They're just cookies."

He shook his head. "Nope. These are the _best_ cookies ever. Keep making them, and I'm your willing slave."

"I think the job's already taken. But there's a spot open for a friend, if you want it."

"Sounds good. And if that…girl…bothers you again, just let one of us know, okay?"

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. I was hoping that Lauren would just go back to ignoring me for the remaining two months of our senior year.

I handed the rest of the bags to Emily. "There's a bag for everyone, to be fair. Gotta run."

***

Somehow everyone had gotten together to convince me, and Charlie, to host a Final Four party at our house on Saturday. I didn't pay too much attention, moving back and forth between the kitchen and the living room to refill bowls and cups. Between games, Jared nudged me into a comfortable seat. "You girls take it easy for a while. We'll handle some clean-up."

"We will?" Embry asked, quickly revising that into, "We will."

Emily sank down next to me. "How did you do it, Bella?" she asked me.

"Do what?" I was puzzled.

"Get him to do that?"

"He helps me out here when he's over," I replied. "It's nothing new."

Quil coughed, _"Whipped,"_ under his breath, although I think most of the people in the house heard him regardless. Sam propelled the rest of the group into the kitchen as well, and they got things put back into a semblance of order in plenty of time to be ready for the second half of the evening.

Jake turned to where Charlie and Billy were rehashing the last game. "Flat screen open on Monday, Charlie?" he asked.

"Championship game? Sure, come on over." I was a little surprised that Charlie was welcoming another pack invasion, but I guessed he was glad of the chance to get to know my new friends better.

Harry Clearwater joined us on Monday, along with his son, Seth.

"Good grief, Harry," Charlie exclaimed, "what in the world do you guys feed your kids? They're all growing by leaps and bounds."

I glanced over to see what he meant. Seth did appear to be in the middle of a growth spurt. His clothes had the look of being on the verge of being outgrown, and his movements were awkward and gangly, as if he wasn't quite sure how to move. Harry's face was carefully non-committal as he made some comment about growing boys, but I could tell that the pack had definitely taken notice. I seized the first convenient moment to pull Jared aside.

"Is it…?" I asked.

Jared grimaced. "Probably. He's got connections to the last pack, so it's not unexpected."

"How old is he?"

"Just turned fourteen."

I gave a soft gasp. So young! I didn't know him, but from what I'd seen today, Seth was good-tempered and nice. He didn't deserve this, especially at his age.

"We'll keep an eye on him Bella, So will his dad—he knows what to watch for. We'll help however we can."

"Okay," I agreed, though I probably wasn't convincing.

Back in the living room, the guys were noisily rooting for their chosen teams, and horsing around to an extent that I was starting to worry about the survival of the furniture. Jared mostly stayed out of it, apparently preferring to curl up next to me; which I wasn't about to complain over.

Our goodbye after the game was viewed with mild disapproval by Charlie, and raucous amusement by the pack.

"Shut up," Jared told Quil, catching him in a headlock, and applying a knuckle noogie to the top of his head, pulling him toward the cars at the same time.

Back inside, I finished cleaning up. My last move was to pick up the newspaper and take it to the recycle box on the back porch. An ad on the top open page caught my eye.

**Muse in Concert. One day only! Saturday May 1. Key Arena, Seattle.** A phone number was listed for ticket sales. I knew that the group was one of Jared's favorites, and I resolved to try and get my dad, and Jared's parents, to let me treat him to the concert as an early graduation present. It wouldn't be easy, but would be so worth it.

***

AN: There actually is a Muse concert there this weekend (I'm jealous), but I'm exercising creative license to reschedule it for plot purposes.


	22. How is that possible?

AN: Wow! Once again, thanks to all my reviewers for your comments, suggestions, and ego boosts. I still haven't been granted rights to Twilight, so I'll just keep playing with what I do control: my story.

To srose: thank you, and I'll think about your suggestion. It would depend on if I came up with a new idea that really inspired me. I might have just gotten one, so I'll let it brew while I work on this story, then we'll see.

Bella POV

I decided that I would ask Charlie about the concert in Seattle on a night that Jared wouldn't be staying for dinner. Of course, I had to do it that way if I wanted to keep it as a surprise for him. I figured I'd grease the wheels a little with Charlie's favorite meatloaf.

"Okay, Bells, what's up?" Was he turning on the perceptiveness tonight?

"I just wanted to make sure you'd be okay with me taking Jared to a concert in a few weeks." Might as well go into this with an appearance of confidence, not seeking permission so much as agreement.

"What concert?"

"One of his favorite bands, Muse, is having a concert the first weekend in May. I think he'd really enjoy going."

"Where's it going to be?" Charlie was definitely in police-chief mode again.

"Key Arena, in Seattle."

"You want to go with your boyfriend to a concert in Seattle?" Clearly, he wasn't too enthused. Time to offer some perspective.

"Well, at least I'm planning to stay within the state lines. Their other concerts that weekend are in Vancouver and Portland."

"Going to drive back afterwards?"

"I think so. It'd be pretty late, but we could handle it."

I could see that Charlie's natural protectiveness was at war with his realization that I was eighteen and about to graduate from high school.

"Okay, sounds like fun."

"Thanks, dad!" I threw my arms around him.

"You're welcome," he hugged me back a bit awkwardly. "I'm…really glad that you're so happy now. That Jared makes you this happy."

"I'm glad, too. He's so amazing, and I'm so lucky I found him."

***

Jared's parents were similarly agreeable when I managed to ask them during my next visit.

"He'll really appreciate this, Bella," Laura told me. "I'm sure you've figured out how much he likes their music. It's always so special to see a favorite group perform live."

"He shows me every day how special I am to him; this is my way to show it back."

"You show him every day, in countless ways," she countered, "but the grand gestures are nice, too."

***

The following Saturday saw another pack sweep. Sam wanted to see if they could pick up any trace of Victoria's return. We girls had decided to have a fun day just for us. We'd originally planned on spending the day in Port Angeles, but had to change our plans when Emily was asked by her sister to watch her little daughter for the day.

"This is Claire," Emily told me, when she, Kim, and the little girl met Angela and I at the park in Forks. "She just turned three."

Claire grinned up at us, and struggled to hold up the right number of fingers; Emily helped her.

"Hi, Claire," we greeted her.

"Heh-whoa," Claire told us.

We had a surprising amount of fun playing on the equipment with Claire, then having a picnic lunch. Claire eventually curled up in my arms and fell asleep.

"Sorry," Emily apologized.

"It's okay, she's fine," I assured her.

"You'll be a great mom someday," Angela commented quietly.

"Thanks. I feel like I've gotten a lot of practice already though. Don't get me wrong: I love my mom, but…I guess part of why I'm so mature is that I had to be. Someone had to make sure food got bought and the bills got paid. Renee is…eccentric and a bit erratic."

I got Claire settled into her car seat without waking her up, and we all drove down to La Push.

"Thanks for having me over," Angela told Emily.

"You're welcome. Any friend of Bella's is welcome here."

***

Jared POV

We moved forward through the forest in a rough v-shape, scanning carefully for any sign of the leech's return. Cresting a small bluff, we slid and scrabbled our way down, pausing at the bottom to catch our breath.

_Still no sign of her_, Sam told us.

_That's good,_ Embry said. I had to agree with him. No sign of her meant that our imprints weren't in immediate danger.

_Is it?_ Paul asked. Embry and I both growled at him. _Hey, all I meant was that we can't kill her if we can't __**find **__her._

_What are you suggesting, then? _ Sam inquired.

_We know what she wants, and where she's been trying to go. But has anyone considered that we've maybe made things __**too**__ hard? I mean, she might be a crazy bloodsucker, but I haven't seen anything to say she's also stupid. If she decides that we're not about to let her get by us, is she really going to keep trying, or is she going to start thinking of another plan?_

_So what are you thinking?_ Jacob wondered.

_What if we create an apparent gap in our coverage? Might be enough to make her think she's got a shot._

_**Not**__ going to happen, if it might put Bella at risk_, I snarled, instinctively crouching lower. _She is not bait._

_Uh-uh,_ Embry also expressed his disapproval of the potential threat to Kim.

_We won't decide anything now,_ Sam decreed. _Nothing will be attempted that would put any of our imprints in jeopardy. But, Paul, if you can come up with a means of executing your plan under that condition, I'm willing to consider it. Let's head home now; we're done here._

***

"Pwetty weaves, Eme. Pwetty weaves," I heard a little voice calling from the cabin's front yard. I glanced over at Sam.

"Emily's niece, Claire. Emily's sister had an emergency come up late yesterday and had to bring Claire over."

Bella's face lit up when she saw me, and I swooped in to claim a kiss. As I wrapped my arms around her, I saw that Embry and Kim were sharing a similar greeting, and Sam was moving toward Emily, who had bent to pick up a small girl.

"Unca Sam," she squealed, with exceptional volume.

"Hey, Claire," Sam replied. "Did you have fun today?" he claimed Emily's lips in a kiss, hugging her and Claire close.

"We pwayed an ate an swept an pwayed," Claire said. I scrunched up my face, trying to interpret toddler-speak. Bella helped me out.

"Played, ate, slept, played."

"Ah," it had been a long time since my siblings had been young enough to talk like that, and I'd been young enough myself then to have not paid much attention anyway.

"Claire, this is Jared, Paul, Embry, and Quil," Sam introduced all of us. And that was when it happened. I knew it the instant I saw his expression change.

"Oh fu-dge," I amended my imprecation just in time. Emily would never forgive me if I taught her three-year-old niece how to cuss, even if it was by accident. Bella twisted in my embrace, trying to figure out what was wrong. I jerked my head in Quil's direction. Her indrawn breath told me she'd figured it out: another of us had imprinted.

I looked over to Angela, expecting to see the now-standard look of frozen confusion on her face. But her expression held only puzzlement as she glanced among us, trying to work out why we were all so instantly on edge. I had been sure that Quil had imprinted, but...

I whipped my head back around to Quil, then followed his focused gaze to its object...'fu-dge' indeed. He'd gone and imprinted on Claire!

We all knew the silence was lasting too long, but no one seemed to know what to do about it. Suddenly, Bella's elbow made an impact into my side.

"Jared, if you forgot to do something, maybe you guys should go take care of it while we get some food ready," she told me.

I eager seized on the excuse she was providing: the perfect way to get the guys away from the house before this blew up in front of Angela.

"Sam, Quil, come on," I told them. "You guys," this to Paul, Jacob, and Embry, "come on, too." I led them all around the side of the house, out of sight and hearing of the girls inside.

When we stopped, we unconsciously ended up standing roughly in a circle, with Sam and Quil on opposite sides. Paul and I flanked Sam; Jacob and Embry did the same for Quil. Sam's expression was full of anger; Quil's of confusion.

"What happened?" Quil stuttered. "What did I do? Why are you mad at me?"

I glanced side-long at Sam, but he didn't seem to notice. He didn't really look like he was about to lose it, but not all that far from it either. I deemed it my beta duty to cover things until Sam was ready to step in.

"You didn't exactly _do_ anything, exactly, it kind-of just happened. And it'll take all of us some time to get used to it."

"_What?!"_ Quil pleaded. "_What_ happened?"

"You imprinted," Embry answered softly, reaching over to lay a hand on Quil's shoulder.

"You mean like you and Jared and Sam?"

"Yeah," I agreed, "you imprinted: on Claire."

"But she's only—" Quil broke off, realizing that continuing this line of thought in front of Claire's uncle wouldn't be the best idea.

"The imprinting doesn't look at your past or your present. It just guides you to the one you're meant to be with. Somehow, you and Claire are each exactly what the other needs, or will need." I was actually amazed at how calm I was about all this. Maybe being imprinted myself was helping, or maybe it was not being directly involved. Or _maybe_ it was knowing how Bella would suggest handling things that was guiding me. Like I'd just told Quil, imprinting was a two-way street. If I was best for Bella, then she was best for me, and she was clearly rubbing off.

"But…I'm not in love with her!" Quil insisted. "That's just…" words escaped him, as they did all of us. He lurched forward, falling to his knees in front of Sam. "Sam, I swear it, I don't…I don't want that. Please, believe me!" He was all but shaking in fear of Sam's possible reaction.

"Phase," Sam ordered. We all jerked around to stare at him. He wasn't going to…was he?

"Sam?" I asked carefully.

"Phase and show me how you _do_ feel," he ordered Quil.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It really was the best way. Quil wouldn't be able to hide anything from Sam that way. As they moved away to phase, Jacob and I exchanged a glance and followed suit. It wouldn't hurt anything to have a couple of witnesses on hand, and might end up helping.

_Sam?_ It was Quil. _I really don't think of Claire the way you do Emily, or Jared and Bella, or Embry and Kim. I just…_ he gave off a tangle of thoughts and feelings, of which protectiveness was the strongest.

_Like…an older brother,_ I offered, using my own experiences as a guide. It was something I was uniquely experienced in, in the pack. _It makes sense, Sam,_ I continued. _He's compelled to be whatever she needs, and it'll be __**ages**__ before she'll want anything like that. He'll be the best friend and playmate and protector that she could ask for._

_Be very careful,_ Sam finally spoke, grudgingly but no longer with anger. _I'll be watching._

***

We played things low-key when we finally went inside, since we had a visitor. I knew Bella would ask me about things later tonight, and I wanted to process things myself before that happened.

***

"How is that possible?" Bella asked from her position beside me.

"I have no freaking idea." It was a testament to how much this really had rattled me after all, that I used an uncharacteristic almost-profanity. "No one had any idea that this could happen."

"So it's never happened before? Imprinting with this kind of an age difference?"

"Not that we know of. Sam's going to talk to the other elders, see if they remember anything he doesn't."

"Are Sam and Emily going to be okay with this? And how will Quil deal with it? Claire doesn't live here, does she?" It really meant a lot, seeing how concerned Bella was over these challenges for our pack.

"They'll manage, I think" I began taking her questions in order. "Sam and Emily are the last people to argue against the imprint, plus they're aware of how awkward it can be. I think it helped that Sam could see exactly how Quil feels, and how innocent everything is. Quil…seems to be a lot like you, in terms of adapting easily to things. He'll probably be fine. And he'll have plenty of chances to spend time with Claire; she actually does live here. Emily's sister moved down here a little while after Emily did; her husband was killed by a drunk driver, and she wanted a fresh start somewhere new." I couldn't help a shudder, though. Bella had been right to be worried at the idea of what might happen if an imprint lived somewhere other than here. The pressure of being torn in two directions at once would be terrible for the wolf involved.

It was a further mark of my distraction tonight that I was only now noticing Bella's new sleepwear. The silky set I'd been enjoying had been exchanged for something even better suited for the warming weather. The pants seemed to be cottony and soft, and the top was soft and stretchy and held up by only a pair of thin straps across her shoulders. I thoroughly approved of this, as it left her neck and shoulders bare. I slid a finger under one strap, sliding it slowly off her shoulder, then bent my head to press light kisses to her skin. Her head fell limply to the other side, giving me maximum access.

After thoroughly worshiping her, I settled back onto the bed, tugging her with me. My heart took up a staccato beating as she turned the tables on me. Each touch of her lips to my skin sent an electric pulse racing through me. My hands framed her waist, ever-so-gently dipping under the hem of her top to caress her back. Bella's back arched into my touch, and her shirt shifted to expose more of her skin to my reach. Her kisses shifted from my chest and shoulders up to my neck, then my mouth.

"I love you," I managed to gasp, when we came up for air.

"I love you, too. So much," Bella whispered.

***

I groaned when the increasing light woke us in the morning. I'd surfaced briefly a while earlier, when Charlie had gotten ready and then left. Probably going fishing with Harry Clearwater again.

"Morning," Bella said, from beside me.

"Morning," I replied.

"I have something for you," she said next.

"Okay, what is it?"

She rolled over and I heard her nightstand drawer opening, and the rustle of paper. Turning back to me, she handed me an envelope. "Well, open it," she suggested, when I just continued to stare at it.

Taking her advice, I opened the envelope and pulled out a couple of thick slips of paper. I turned them over to realize that they were tickets. _Muse_ tickets.

"Bella!" I looked at her and saw that she was grinning at me.

"You got me concert tickets?"

"I got _us_ concert tickets." She was definitely pleased with herself.

"Our parents?"

"Told us to have fun."

"Wow," I carefully tucked the tickets back into the envelope. "Thank you, Bella. This is…wow." I scooted closer to her, and began expressing my thanks more coherently.

***

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates. I hope this chapter lived up to expectations.


	23. Prom

AN: Still don't own Twilight, but still love all the positive reviews.

To reviewer jazz: if you get a account, you can sign up for story alerts for the story and get an email whenever a new chapter's posted. I've been trying to strike a balance in Bella & Jared's relationship: a gradual build-up that isn't too fast or too slow. I definitely plan to see this story through to the end; nothing more frustrating than getting invested in a story, only to not see it finished—that won't happen here, I promise.

Bella POV

"How are you doing, Emily? With this new imprint thing?" I asked her the middle of the following week. She sighed and gripped her cup a little tighter, automatically looking over to where Claire was playing on the floor.

"I don't know. It seems to change by the day or even the hour sometimes. Part of me wants to say, 'Not her, she's just a baby', but…"

"But you also know how good it will be for her eventually, and you can't argue against that." I finished her thought.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"You'll be with her a lot of the time, right?" a nod. "And Sam can monitor from that end, so I think things will be okay."

Emily finally smiled. "Thanks, Bella. I suppose this does put things more into perspective."

The spring days began to race by with increasing speed. Jared and I spent every moment together that we could, a lot more than anyone besides the pack was aware of. He'd somehow caught me back up in school and had even made calculus make sense, so our "study" sessions now mostly involved studying each other. Charlie now barely blinked at seeing the two of us cuddling on the couch or lounging together on a blanket spread on the grass outside. There were times that I suspected he was working under a "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding how close Jared and I might be getting.

The pack seemed to have come to terms with Quil's imprinting. The elders had been just as stunned as everyone else, confirming the unusual nature of the occurrence, but were satisfied, as Sam and Emily now were, with how Quil planned to handle it. It soon came to be that the first place anyone would look for him became Emily's living room or yard, where he could be found playing dolls or 'pick-up-the-rocks' with Claire. He took a lot of ribbing from the other wolves, but it fazed him as little as anything ever did.

On a Saturday in mid-April, Kim and Angela came over for a fun-filled afternoon of addressing graduation announcements. I wasn't sending out many, really just to Renee and Phil, and my new friends at La Push. Kim had more to do, and Angela had a literal ton.

"I have a huge extended family, and my mom insists on sending an announcement to every last one of them," Angela groaned.

"I'll help you with yours," I offered.

"Thanks," Angela smiled gratefully.

As we got down to work, Kim turned to me with a question. "Are you planning to go to prom?"

I shook my head, "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"I went last year, but didn't really want to, so…"

"I wondered about that," Angela admitted. "You kept saying you'd be out of town that weekend, but then you broke your led and then you were at prom with Edward."

"He sent Alice over to play 'Bella Barbie', and only after she was done did they tell me why she'd done it all. I didn't really have a choice then. At least my cast gave me an excuse to avoid much dancing." I grimaced at the memory. I'd hated being fussed over like that anyway, and to have it be for a dance I hadn't wanted to go to anyway…it had mainly been spending time with Edward that had made me give in with any amount of grace.

"Does Jared want to go?" Kim queried.

"He hasn't mentioned it. He might be avoiding it because of my memories and my coordination issues."

"If he asked you to come to ours, would you?"

I wasn't sure. I still had my issues, like I'd said, but I suddenly felt bad for not having thought about Jared. What if he _wanted_ to go to prom, but wasn't saying anything because of me? "I guess I'd think about it," I decided.

Jared POV

Bella seemed to have something on her mind when I came over for the night. We just lay there for a while before I decided to see what was up.

"Anything wrong?" I asked her.

"No," she replied. Yeah, right on that.

"Bella, what is it?" I asked, placing a finger under her chin so she'd look at me.

Finally, Bella answered me. "Kim got me thinking about something when she was over earlier."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I watched her anxiously for a clue on how to proceed.

"Not really, but I should." She paused for a long moment. "Jared, I know you haven't said anything…but, do you _want_ to go to your prom?"

I hadn't been expecting that one. It wasn't something I'd really thought much about since meeting Bella. I knew that physical activities weren't her favorite, or being on public display, and the prom involved both. Plus, she'd been to hers last year with Cullen, I'd heard, and I didn't want to bring back memories that she might not want.

Bella was still watching me, waiting for an answer. I had to wonder what exactly Kim might have said, and resolved to ask her about it if Bella didn't say.

"It doesn't really matter to me either way, Bella, really. I don't have to go, and if you'd rather not, then we can make our own plans for the night."

"But do you _want_ to?" she insisted.

"Bella," I said quietly. "Yes, a part of me would love to walk into prom with you, but I promised at the very beginning that this is all about you. If you don't want to go, then we won't go, and it'll be just fine. It's not something that will ever figure on my list of life-regrets, if I don't go this year."

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss me lightly on my mouth. "I kind-of felt like I got shanghaied into it last year. I like having a choice this time around."

I felt like I was venturing out onto potentially dangerous ground. Well, nothing ventured…

"Would you like me to give you the choice?"

She smiled before curling up next to me again. "I'll let you decide that." Typical Bella.

On Monday, I got to class a little early to catch Kim. "What did you say about prom when you were at Bella's on Saturday?"

"Prom? I just asked if she was going. She said that she didn't think she was, but that you hadn't mentioned it. I did get her to admit that she'd consider going if you asked her. So are you?"

I ran a hand through my short-cropped hair. "I'd _like_ to, but I know that'll make her feel obligated to accept. I know she doesn't really want to, so why make her uncomfortable at all?"

"You two have to be the most self-sacrificing people I know," Kim was clearly exasperated. "You don't want to pressure her, and she doesn't want you to feel like you're missing out on things. Why not ask her, and then make the night all about her? Prom is just as much about socializing as it is about actually dancing. Give her new memories, better ones."

"Okay, I get the point. Thanks."

"Good."

During our Wednesday family dinner, I was a literal bundle of nerves. When Bella and I retreated to my room, I pulled myself together.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go to the La Push prom with me?" I held my breath, hoping I hadn't just made a huge mistake.

She looked deep into my eyes, and I could only hope that I was showing her what she wanted to see.

"I'd like that."

I let out my breath in a gust, and pulled her close to me. "Thank you."

"So when is it?"

Gulp. "It's the last Friday of this month, the night before the concert in Seattle."

"The Friday after this one?"

"Yep," I winced, knowing that it wasn't much time at all. "Kim's going to Port Angeles Friday after school to get a dress. I'm sure she'd be glad of some company if you need to go."

"I hate shopping, but I do need something. Can you mention it to her tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Bella POV

It was weird how much, and yet how little, difference a year could make. Last year, I'd come here with Jessica and Angela, helping them find dresses for a prom I hadn't planned to attend. Now I was back, this time with Kim as well as Angela, trying to find a dress for myself.

Kim easily found a long flowy strapless dress in a deep burgundy color.

"That'll look stunning on you, especially against your skin," I complimented.

I knew from the start that I wanted something green, since that was Jared's favorite color. I immediately nixed anything poufy, or super-tight. No ruffles, or with too much 'bling'. There was one with thin straps that hit just above my knees that faded from light to dark green as it went down.

"No…" Angela shook her head. "It's too light on top. We want something with more contrast."

"What about this one?" for a long emerald green dress with a halter neck and a beaded band across my ribcage.

"It's nice, but…it's just missing something." Kim decided.

"Try this one," Angela came back with another dress. As soon as I slipped it on, I knew it was the one. It was a rich spring green color, in filmy fabric that brushed the middle of my knees. A band of white crystal beading started at my right hip, came up the middle of the bodice and along the top edge, becoming the single strap over my left shoulder. A sash of the same fabric as the dress covered the zipper and fell down the middle of the gown's back down to the hem.

My exit from the dressing room stall evoked simultaneous gasps from Angela and Kim.

"Oh my goodness," Angela breathed.

"Wow," Kim gasped. "You might want to have an EMT standing by when Jared picks you up. One sight of this, and he's going to need CPR."

The dress was $300, and worth every penny. I even splurged on a pair of low-heel silver strappy sandals. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was looking forward to the prom and having Jared see the dress.

After school on the following Friday, Angela followed me home to help me get ready. I found it much more enjoyable this time than I had last year with Alice. A light application of the makeup I rarely wore, and a curling iron to my hair, which I was wearing loose, and I was ready.

"You look absolutely amazing, Bella!" Angela gushed. "I hope you have a wonderful time tonight."

"Thanks, Angela, for everything. I hope that you and Ben have fun at your prom tomorrow."

We headed downstairs. Angela tried to get me to wait upstairs for Jared to arrive, but I reminded her about my lack of coordination. "If I try to walk down the stairs with him watching me, I'll probably trip because I'll be watching him, and I'll end up breaking something."

"Because he'll be too busy staring to remember to catch you," she laughed. Angela did insist that I at least wait out of sight in the living room.

My heart started pounding when I heard his feet on the front porch. Charlie was waiting to let him in.

"Chief Swan," Jared was polite and formal.

"Come on in, Jared," Charlie greeted him warmly, a far cry from his reception to Edward's arrival last time. "Bella," he called.

Jared's indrawn breath was audible when he caught sight of me. "Hach Wisatsu'upat," he managed. Angela was snapping pictures of him, and then of us both as he walked up to me. I heard him set something down on the end table, before bringing his hands up to frame my face, careful not to mess up my hair. He bent down to claim my lips in a deep kiss.

"You look absolutely incredible!" his voice rang with sincerity and awe. "What could I possibly have done to deserve you?"

"Everything," I told him.

Jared turned around and picked up what he'd set down. It turned out to be a clear plastic florist's box containing a corsage. He carefully slid the band over my wrist, and I lifted my arm to sniff.

"Thank you."

A few more hugs and photos, and we were finally off.

Jared POV

I felt like there was a vice around my chest, as if my lungs wouldn't fill with air no matter what I did. It was almost like I'd gotten sucker-punched by a slip of a girl and still hadn't recovered my balance. Kim had taken a lot of pleasure this week in teasing me about Bella's dress. Whatever I might have expected, the reality far surpassed it. She looked...there weren't words to describe it.

The dress was green, which I thought she looked incredible in; strapless except for a barely-there line of beads that just begged me to reach over and toy with it...I forced my mind away from those dangerous daydreams and back to my plans for the evening. Bella looked a little confused when we pulled up in front of my house.

"Your dinner awaits," I said as I helped her out of the car, a hand under her elbow to steady her.

"Here?"

"Everyone goes to the café usually, so I thought we'd be different."

"That's really nice," Bella smiled up at me. "But, where's your family?"

"My parents and siblings went to visit mom's sister down in Portland for the weekend. Mom did help me get things organized here, though," I explained as I opened the front door. "Wait right here."

I disappeared for a moment into the dining room, where candles were waiting to be lit. That done, I returned to Bella, and escorted her in.

"Jared," she gasped. "This is…" her eyes were bright, and she blinked rapidly. "This is wonderful, thank you."

I leaned down and kissed her deeply. No matter how often I did this, each time was as magical as the first. I reluctantly pulled back and guided her to a seat at the table.

"I'll be right back with your appetizer."

When I entered the kitchen, my mom was taking a tray of garlic bread out of the oven. A salad bowl for each of us was waiting on the counter. "Mom? I thought you guys left when I did?"

"We were going to, sweetie, but I just had to be here to see the two of you." She set the tray down on top of the stove. "This is your senior prom, Jared. You're graduating soon."

I came to put my hands on her shoulders. "Mom, things aren't going to change _that_ much. I'll still be your son, and still be around, okay?"

"Okay," she reached up to touch my cheek. "Now, help me get the food out there. And I just want a couple pictures of the two of you, and then we're out of your hair."

I was swept along, helpless in the face of my mom's enthusiasm.

"Hi, Bella, my, you look gorgeous. Jared's certainly very lucky."

"He certainly is," my dad agreed from the doorway.

"Mrs. Mahan, thank you. But I think I'm the lucky one."

"Wo-ow," Drew wolf-whistled.

"Watch it," I warned. "_My_ lady."

My mom was as good as her word, and made quick work of our posed photos. Savannah was actually more of a problem, wanting to go over every detail of Bella's outfit. My Bella was gracious, and promised to discuss it all later on. I breathed a sigh of relief when they finally left, and we were alone.

I'd gone for a classic lasagna, salad, and bread for our dinner. In consideration of pasta sauce and Bella's dress, I'd also grabbed an oversized bath towel to prevent any accidents.

"Much better than the café," Bella announced as we dug in.

As always, I was having a wonderful time just being with Bella. A part of me would be happy to stay with only her for the rest of the night. But a larger part of me couldn't wait to walk in with Bella by my side.

Our entrance was everything I'd hoped for. I couldn't help gloating inside at some of the envious looks directed my way by my watching classmates. We soon met up with Embry and Kim.

"CPR?" Kim asked.

"No," Bella giggled. "He wasn't _quite_ that bad off. Close, but not quite."

"I love you too, Bella," I mock-grumbled.

"Jared," she whispered, as close to my ear as she could get. "I love how you reacted. It was exactly how what I hoped for."

I growled quietly, low in my throat, and snuck a quick kiss.

Jacob and Paul joined us a little later. Both were attracting a lot of attention, but neither had sought a date. They probably wouldn't suffer much for it though, judging by the looks they were getting. Quil showed up, too, looking rather uncomfortable as he introduced his cousin Lisa. I was betting he wished he'd never agreed to escort her.

"Hot," Paul said under his breath, tilting his head in Bella's direction.

"Yeah," I grinned back.

When a slow song started, I turned to Bella. "Want to try?"

She took a deep breath, "Okay."

Out on the floor, I gently pulled her close to me, with one hand on her lower back, and the other on her bare shoulder. I carefully guided Bella in the steps, mostly just spinning in a slow circle. I wasn't complaining: holding her close like this was pretty darn close to perfect in my book. We tried a few of the faster songs, but mostly just stuck to dancing the slow ones. Definitely perfect.

We ended up staying until the chaperones herded everyone to the doors. I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist as we headed to my car for the drive over to Kim's, where she was going to spend the night. Prom, spending tomorrow with Bella, getting to see Muse in concert…this would definitely be a weekend to remember.

AN: I've added a link on my profile page to the dress that I used as the inspiration for Bella's. The only difference is that Bella's dress is shorter.

Mikaela Rosario: When I started looking at non-canon pairing stories, I was drawn to some of the other wolves (I'm not a big Jacob/Bella fan). There weren't very many (quantity or quality) with Jared, so I gave it a try. I actually think they're well-suited. Jared was Sam's second, so he had to be reliable and responsible. He just seemed a good match for Bella. As for your comment about being confused on the end of chapter 19: the basic gist of the chapter was that Bella filled her mom in on Jared, rehashed the date day with Angela, went to La Push for a bonfire, where they gave the digital audio recorder to Emily. With her focus on writing all the stories down, I didn't think Emily was able to just listen and appreciate them the way the others could, so now she'll be able to. Jared's final thoughts were a realization that the pack does need to find out the truth about Embry's paternity, for the peace of mind of all of them. If you would like any more clarification, I'd be happy to give some if I have way of contacting you. And as for Paul, I see him as a "speak/act first, and maybe think later" kind of guy. I don't see him being malicious. Bella's his pack brother's mate, so he's going to look out for her.


	24. The Concert Part 1

AN: To all my reviewers: thank you for showing your love for me and the story. Layla: I'm so glad you love the story. It's such a compliment to hear that someone had to read it straight through. I hope this update came soon enough. Next one probably won't be till the middle of next week; I've got a grad school assignment due Monday.

Jared POV

It was with some reluctance--okay with a _lot_ of reluctance---that I dropped Bella off at Kim's house for the night. Sleeping tonight without her beside me was _really_ going to suck. But joining her wasn't an option; nor did I expect I'd have any success convincing her to secretly change plans and come to my place instead. She might be fine with me coming to her bedroom every night, but probably wouldn't be as comfortable sneaking into my house, even if the rest of my family _was_ gone.

Bella and I sat in the shadowed interior of my car, kissing and just holding each other, waiting for Kim to get back. I wondered if her parting from Embry was anything like ours. He'd been doing a good job, just like I had, of keeping the private details under wraps, but I'd caught enough to know that their relationship was progressing nicely. Her post-graduation plans might still be up in the air, but they were really going to try and work something out for both of them.

After finally saying goodbye, I headed home to drop off my car, then phased and went back to Kim's. Just because I couldn't exactly be with Bella didn't mean I wouldn't get as close as possible. Some people might call me an idiot for giving up my comfortable bed for a pile of leaves in the woods, but I didn't care.

Saturday morning dawned mild and bright, promising to be a beautiful day. I hung around in the woods until I heard the girls stirring, and then dashed home to get myself cleaned up. I figured I'd be done about the same time they were, and then Bella and I could spend time together before heading out to Seattle.

I was just heading out the door, when I stopped in my tracks and slapped my hand to my forehead. _How could I have forgotten?_ I abruptly changed my intended course, and headed for the Clearwater' house.

I was surprised to see Charlie Swan and Billy outside with Harry, but realized they were probably heading out for their usual fishing expedition.

"Jared," they greeted me.

"Have a good time last night?" Charlie asked.

I felt a grin on my face that was probably more than a little goofy, which seemed to amuse them. "Yeah, we had a great time. Can't wait for all we've got planned today."

Harry smirked, "Then why are you here and not there?"

"Almost forgot that I'd asked Sue to make something for Bella for me. I wanted to pick it up so I can give it to her today."

"She's in the kitchen," Harry jerked his head in the direction of the house, and I bounded up onto the porch.

"Young love," Billy sighed melodramatically, knowing I could still hear him, though Charlie wouldn't be aware of that.

"He's really good for her," Charlie commented to his friends. "A lot better than _he_ was. She's so...happy isn't the right word, being with him, and you only have to look at him to see how he feels about her. Not looking forward to it at all, but I can see him having a talk with me sometime down the line."

"You okay with that if he did?" Billy asked.

Charlie sighed. "I don't want to lose her, but I want her to be happy more than anything. He does that for her. As long as she can do, or be, whatever she wants, I'll be fine with whoever she chooses." No more and no less than what I wanted for her.

I headed into the kitchen then to see Sue washing the breakfast dishes. "Jared," she said.

"Hi, Sue. I just came by to pick up the necklace." Sue made jewelry as a hobby, and to sell in my parents' store for the tourists. She also did some commission pieces, and I'd asked her to make one for Bella. I wanted to give the love of my life a tangible symbol of her connection to me and to the pack. I'd gotten the okay from Sam and the elders, then asked Sue to craft a circular pendant engraved with the same symbol as our pack tattoo. It was about an inch across, a warm golden color. The raised crest was set off by whatever black stain she'd used in the recessed parts.

"Sue, it's perfect," I breathed. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Now, go give that to your girl."

As I left, I had to stop and show it to the men who were still outside. I surmised that Harry had filled the others in, and Charlie would naturally want to see what I was giving his daughter.

Backing out of the driveway, about to head to Kim's house, I noticed two things. Seth Clearwater stomped out of the house, carrying a bag full of trash. His scowl as he tossed it into the trashcan proclaimed that he'd rather be doing anything else, and made me narrow my eyes in concentration. He was one of my brother's friends, and was usually known for a sunny temperament. Uh-oh. The other thing was seeing Seth's older sister Leah stalking across the yard and going into the garage. The thumping noise as I drove away sounded like she was punching something. Not a happy camper. I was guessing that my previous assumption was still accurate and that she wasn't about to forgive anyone for anything in the foreseeable future.

***

Bella was at the door as soon as she heard me pulling up. I barely had time to get out of my car before she was heading my way. She tripped and fell right into my arms—not that I was complaining.

"Glad to see you, too," I teased.

Bella expressed her opinion of my teasing by the simple expedient of shutting me up. She very effectively distracted me, as she pulled my head down. Her tongue traced my lips, then darted inside my mouth. I forgot everything except devouring her in return. Kim's snickers gradually penetrated the haze we were immersed in.

Kim's parents invited me in for breakfast. They ended up not being fazed by my appetite: apparently Embry had been spending time over here. Afterward, we all ended up at Sam and Emily's place. The girls passed around their digital cameras and dissected every event of the previous evening. Jacob and Paul started ragging me after Bella gushed over my dinner arrangements. She gave them each a severe look, before settling on my lap and wrapping her arms around my neck. "It was perfect," she announced, then moved in for a kiss. When Bella drew back and re-situated herself, I couldn't help a smug look over at the others. I was really hoping that Paul or Jacob or both would imprint: I had lots stored up in the 'payback' column that I couldn't wait to use on them.

I took a moment when the girls went to put lunch together to pull Jacob aside. We'd made the switch official earlier in the week, and he'd taken over as the pack's beta. Since Sam and Emily were having their own date night tonight, Jacob would be in charge and I needed to let him know what I'd observed.

"We might want to put someone on Seth-watch. I think he's really close to phasing. Saw him earlier this morning and he was pissed off about something."

"He's that close?" Jacob pressed for confirmation; a little annoying in my opinion--after all, I'd been through my own phase, and witnessed those of 4 others besides.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "Close enough that I'd be worried if we didn't have someone nearby when it happens."

"Okay, I'll have Quil and Embry trade off sitting on him today."

***

Bella and I headed out after lunch. It was a good three-hour drive, and I'd made a point of looking up a bookstore that I thought Bella would enjoy browsing in before dinner and the concert. We talked about lots of things on the drive east: favorite parts of the previous night, Muse song lyrics, childhood tidbits, and whatever else came to mind.

We found a parking lot a block away from the arena and walked a couple blocks north on Queen Anne Avenue to get to the bookstore. "Twice-Told Tales," Bella read on the store's sign. She flashed me a grin, "My kind of place."

Inside, Bella headed straight for the classics section. She trailed a hand along a row of Shakespeare's plays, stopped, then pulled one off the shelf. "Romeo and Juliet," she murmured. "One of the last things we did together was watch the movie—the 1968 version. Read the play in English class, did a paper, then had to watch the movie." She bit her lip and looked at me tentatively. "They threw me a birthday party that night, and then three days later they were gone." I sensed there was more to what had happened than that, but she didn't seem inclined to say more about it.

"We compared ourselves to the title characters," Bella revealed, going back to her earlier comment. "Star-crossed lovers, everything working against us…He didn't have much good to say about Romeo: thought he was an idiot who destroyed his own happiness." She traced the cover illustration, froze, and then looked up at me. "They were _both_ idiots. He rushed into things without thinking; killed himself because he thought she was dead. She never gave Paris a chance; killed herself because she _knew_ Romeo was dead, couldn't bear living without him."

"You took a different path, Bella. You're not repeating the story anymore." I brought my hands up to cradle her elbows. I could see the parallels she was thinking of, but things weren't like that--not anymore.

"You saved me from that nightmare existence I was lost in; brought me true happiness, not just a shadow of it."

"And you've done the same for me. I don't want to think about not having you in my life." I drew her into a reading nook. "I want to give you this," and I pulled out the pouch Sue had placed the necklace in out from my pocket.

"You are the most important person in the world to me, Bella," I told her as she loosened the drawstring tie and reached inside the pouch.

"Oh," she inhaled sharply as first the chain and then the pendant emerged. "Jared...your tattoo design…"

"'Strength in togetherness', remember?" I reminded her. "We are bound together, you and I, now and always there for each other." I considered myself well-rewarded as Bella's body melted against mine.

"It's beautiful. Thank you so much," Bella punctuated her thanks with kisses. "Where did this come from? This can't have come from a store."

"No. Sue Clearwater makes jewelry. I asked her to make this for you. I'm so glad you like it."

"I do," Bella's eyes were glowing. "Would you put it on for me?" She pulled her hair away from her neck to give me access. I wasn't expecting the possessive pleasure I felt, seeing Bella wearing our crest.

"Now," I turned her back around to face the bookshelves, "go find some books."

An hour later, I was _almost_ regretting my words, as she was still looking. Almost, but not really. Seeing her so enthusiastic as she browsed among the volumes was worth anything. Finally, she returned, her arms full of books.

"Good ones?" I asked.

She nodded. "I like Jane Austen a lot. Joan Aiken wrote sequels to all of Austen's books, so I thought I'd give them a try. And I even found a couple that deal with tribal cultures and legends of the Pacific Northwest."

I glanced at those last ones. "Good choices," I agreed. "I've read that one before; it's got a lot in there." I looked over at the clock on the store wall. "If you're ready, we ought to get going. We've got a dinner reservation I don't want us to miss." Her eyes widened.

"But today is for you," she tried to protest. I wasn't having it.

"Today is for both of us. You're giving me the concert, so I'm giving you dinner. No argument."

Her eyes widened a little while later, once we'd crossed the street, when I walked her into Toulouse Petit, a French-Creole restaurant three blocks from the arena. "I thought we'd try something out of the ordinary tonight," I explained.

Her eyes widened dramatically. "Jared…" I cut her objection off with a kiss. "_You are worth it,_" I repeated in echo of one of our earliest conversations. "_You are worth __**everything**__."_

***

Bella POV

"Welcome to Toulouse-Petit," our waitress greeted us, placing opened menus on the table. "My name is Michelle. Can I recommend an appetizer?"

"Sure," Jared told her. "What's good?"

"Well, my favorites are the Chilled Gulf Shrimp in Red Remoulade or the Dungeness Crab with Fried Green Tomatoes."

Jared looked over at me just as I looked up at him.

"I think I'd like the French Onion soup Lyonnaise," I said.

"And I'll try the Gulf Shrimp," Jared decided.

Once we were alone again, I stretched out my hand on the table, reaching toward the person who had now come to mean more to me than I could ever have dreamed. "I have no clue what I could have done to deserve someone like you, but I am so very thankful," I told him. His hand had come over to cover mine.

"I would say that you don't need to thank me for anything," he said, "but I won't—because I like _how_ you thank me."

I could feel myself blushing and redirected my attention to deciding what to order off the menu. By the time the waitress came back with our appetizers, I had chosen the New Orleans-style Jambalaya and Jared had picked the New York Strip Loin.

Our dinner was mostly quiet as we enjoyed our food, and yet was full of unspoken conversation at the same time. It was almost as if this weekend marked some kind of shift in our relationship, and I wasn't sure if that made me more nervous or more anticipatory.

I pushed my plate away, feeling nicely stuffed. "That was…amazing," I said. "How was your steak?"

"Not as tasty as you," he teased, eyes dark with meaning, "but still very good."

"Would you like anything for dessert?" Michelle asked, and I jumped at the sound of her voice. Jared smiled slyly, "We'll have the White Chocolate Bread Pudding and the Buttermilk Beignets," he told her.

"I'm not sure if I have room," I said regretfully.

"We'll just have to see if I can tempt you." Oh boy, could he ever tempt me.

If I had ever doubted that dessert could be seductive, that night definitely cured me of any confusion. Jared was as good as his word, turning each bite he slipped into my mouth into a tender, romantic gesture. I was amazed that I was able to eat anything, considering how the butterflies in my stomach were fluttering around.

"Ready for the concert?" Jared asked, once he'd polished off the rest of the desserts, and handled the check.

I nodded, and he came around the table to help me up. We left the restaurant and headed down the street toward the arena, arms wrapped around each others' waists.

***

AN: I thought about not stopping here, but the rest of their evening will require some more planning, and I didn't want you to have to wait that long. So you get the first part of their day now, and the rest in a few days.

The bookstore and restaurant are real and where I've described.


	25. The Concert Part 2

AN: Thanks for your patience as I got my assignment done and the second half of Jared and Bella's Seattle trip planned out. I hope that this longer-than-usual chapter makes up for it. Thanks so much to Genesis26 for sharing what their Muse concert experience was like last weekend. I've been a little nervous about this one, especially with all the anticipation, so I really hope that this lives up to expectations.

Jared POV

"Happy half-birthday," Bella told me as she settled into the seat on my right side. I was confused. She knew as well as I did that my birthday was in November, two months after hers.

"Do schools not do that here?" she asked, picking up on my puzzlement. "Back in Phoenix, if a kid had a summer birthday, they could bring treats in to celebrate with their classmates on their half-birthday, the six-month mark between the official birthdays. This is your half-birthday, or close enough."

"Thank you for my present, then," I told her, and ignored our audience long enough to give her a thank-you kiss.

Drawing back, I took the opportunity to look around the arena. The stage was half-lit, enough to see the structures simulating a city skyline.

***

As the first notes of "Resistance" were played by the backup band, the arena lights abruptly went out and the stage went dark. The only illumination was on a staircase, down which white-clad figures were marching. As they started falling off the sides, I felt Bella gasp beside me in obvious concern. "They're wearing harnesses," I whispered, my keener eyesight able to catch what she couldn't. "They're fine." She relaxed in relief, only to focus again as three columns began to emerge from underneath the stage floor, each one carrying a member of Muse: lead singer Matthew Bellamy, guitarist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard.

_Carried through the centuries_

_Secrets locked up and loaded on my back_

_Well it weighs me down_

How true it was—the centuries of secrecy practiced by members of my tribe, ancestors in a physical or metaphysical sense. It was sobering to remember how lonely I had been before, having to abandon old friends and keep secrets from everyone including my own parents. Sure, gaining my pack brothers had been good; still, we'd definitely been set apart from everyone else. But Bella had changed so much for me; I now had someone I could tell anything to, someone who knew everything.

I was distracted from my reflections by a light, feathery touch to my arm. When I glanced down, I saw that Bella's right arm was stretched across her body and her fingers were lightly running up and down my arm. Her left hand was toying with the necklace I'd given her, unconsciously alternating between rubbing her thumb over the crest pendant and running the pendant itself along the silver chain. If her goal tonight was to drive me crazy, she was definitely well on her way to success. I was still as determined as ever to hold to my oft-repeated promise of not pushing past her comfort zone, but…I drew in a deep breath. She wasn't making it easy at all right now.

***

Bella POV

I lightly slid my fingertips along Jared's arm for the several-dozenth time, and valiantly bit the inside of my lip to hide a smirk as his muscles involuntarily contracted under my touch. As I neared his wrist again, his arm flipped over rapidly and his hand claimed mine, intertwining our fingers. I looked up at him unrepentantly and saw that him staring back at me, his dark eyes full of promise. I felt my stomach flutter in response. I remembered one of our early nights together…

(flashback)

"_Does it bother you, that I affect you this way?" I asked._

"_Does it bother you that you affect me this way?" he'd countered._

"_It probably should, but honestly, I think I like it—more than I should."_

_Jared had groaned softly, and shifted to his back. "Bella, don't you know that you shouldn't say that to a hot-blooded 18-year-old male?"_

"_Really? Well, you are hot."_

"_Bella, can we __**please**__ go to sleep, before I forget my good intentions where you've concerned?"_

"_Okay. I promise to stop teasing…for now," I had told him._

***

"_I meant what I said before about liking that we affect each other physically, but I'm just not ready for going that far yet."_

_He nodded. "And I meant what __I__ said about never wanting to push you farther than you want to go. If this is getting to be too much, we can back things down." _

"_Maybe we can just stay at this level for a while. And when I'm ready for more, I promise I'll let you know."_

I'd promised him not to tease; was I breaking that now? No, I decided, I wasn't. I was…letting him know, just as I'd told him I would.

***

_Draw another picture_

_Of the life you could have had_

_Follow your instincts_

_And choose the other path_

_You should never be afraid_

_You're protected from trouble and pain_

My conversation with Jared at dinner tonight came back as I let the song's lyrics flow over me. The life I had once thought to lead was gone now, forever out of reach. But I wasn't devastated by that realization, as I once would have been. I'd been given a second chance, the opportunity to make different choices, to go a different way. Accepting Jared and the imprinting had been my act of choosing. With Jared, I didn't have to fear not being good enough for him, never fear that he would hurt me. I'd been honest with him: I didn't know why I'd been blessed with him, but I was deeply grateful. I leaned to the side, until I was close enough to kiss the shoulder of his shirt, just above the place where the tattoo marked his skin, just as it now marked my neck. I placed a kiss against his shirt, and then rested my head against his shoulder, savoring our closeness.

***

Jared POV

When Muse had done their final encore, the lights came up and the audience began to head for the exits. We stayed in our seats for a while, deeming it best to wait for the crowd to thin out a bit before trying to leave. "Thank you," I told her once again.

She giggled. "Are you ever going to stop thanking me for this weekend?"

"Not sure," I admitted. "Maybe I'll keep it up for as long as I can get away with it."

She rolled her eyes at me and I grinned back. Seeing that our section was clearing out, I pulled her to her feet and we headed up the steps to the concourse level. A quick stop in the restrooms, and we were ready to leave.

I was instantly on alert when the night air hit my nostrils. I reflexively gripped Bella's arm, bringing her to a halt.

"What is it?" she whispered, catching my level of tension.

"Vampire," I breathed, scanning around trying to pick up anything else.

"Where?" she was frozen at my side. "Is it her?"

"I'm not sure where exactly; somewhere close. But it isn't her—I'm sure of that. Or them either," I added as an afterthought. I let my senses expand as much as they could in human form, drawing in as much of the scent as I could, and straining my ears for any sound. Another part of my mind was frantically considering all my options: attack, retreat, run, hide. The stench was fading slightly, so I thought the leech responsible for it might have moved farther away. What would be the odds that a new bloodsucker would show up in Seattle on the one night Bella was here? Was it just a coincidence, or had she somehow pissed off another leech and just not told us?

A change in the wind's direction brought a sound over more clearly than before. It took a moment for me to place it as a siren, like on a cop car.

"Come on," I hissed, too worried now to care about being polite. Safety came first over manners right now. The part of me that was a protector of the innocent cringed at the thought that someone must have been hurt by that bloodsucking monster, but a larger part of me was simply grateful that it hadn't been my Bella.

Our rapid descent of the arena's outside stairs resulted in Bella stumbling at the bottom.

"Help me," she whispered, voice trembling with fear. I nodded and swung her up onto my back, much like an adult giving a child a piggy-back ride, and swiftly began to move down the street toward my car. Passing in front of an alley entrance halfway down the block, I jerked to a stop as a figure emerged from the shadows. Bella barely stifled a shriek before we both realized who it was: Paul.

"Damn it, Paul," I swore, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye out," he answered, for once not reacting to being accused of something. "Sam's orders, man. He didn't want to take any chances. 'Sides, I was due for a field trip."

I wasn't amused by his fIippancy, but I somehow bit back the caustic comment I wanted to make about the chain of command and due notifications; it wasn't the right time, for one thing, and for the other, Paul wasn't the right recipient anyway. "Report," I commanded, and even though I wasn't beta anymore, I still outranked him and could do it.

"Leech—young guy, looked like. Jumped a girl a few blocks from here." He pointed in the direction he referred to, and my body tensed even further—if that was possible—when I realized that it was the same direction as the bookstore and restaurant—where Bella and I had spent hours earlier today.

"Is she…?" Bella managed a couple words before her voice faded.

Paul's face fell and he shook his head. "I was down here, closer to you two. Couldn't get up there in time to do anything—not sure what Sam expected me to do anyway if I had," he muttered. "Can't exactly phase in the middle of Seattle, can I?" he clearly didn't expect an answer.

I reached up to lightly squeeze Bella's arm in support, but she didn't lift her head from the crook of my neck where she'd dropped it at Paul's words. "Let's go," I said, and Paul joined us as we went the last half-block to the parking lot. I tossed him my keys after unlocking the car, and got in the back seat with Bella. I couldn't remember if he'd had his license six months yet or not, but I didn't care at the moment—there was no way I was letting go of Bella right now.

"One-o-one, or I-5?" he asked as we pulled out of the parking lot. I bit my lip—that was one of the things I'd been worrying about. Taking the 101 would get us back to Forks in just over three hours, but meant taking the Kingston-Edmonds ferry over Puget Sound, and leeches had the advantage in the water. Taking I-5 south would mean an extra hour of driving time and take us through both Tacoma and Olympia, but would put us into more isolated terrain surrounding the Olympic National Park, where the pack could offer support if necessary.

"Take I-5. It'll take us a bit longer to get back, but we'll be in range of the pack faster."

"On the way."

The first hour or so was silent, Bella clinging to me in quiet desperation. I'd called Jacob's place, only to get the answering machine. I'd left a vague message there, before trying the rest of the pack. I hadn't been able to connect with anyone and resolved to phase and send a mental message once we'd reached a place with enough privacy; I figured that where the metropolitan area ended just west of Olympia would work for that. It might end up working for another reason too: it was faint and sporadic, but I kept catching a hint of the same stench I'd found at the arena. We were being tracked. I met Paul's gaze in the rear-view mirror and he nodded acknowledgment: he'd caught it too. I glanced down at Bella, then back up into the mirror. Paul nodded again, in comprehension of my unspoken order: I would deal with this threat; he would keep Bella out of harm's way.

We'd just passed the edge of the city limits when the scent drifted in through the car's air vents more strongly than ever. Paul instantly wrenched the car over to the edge of the road and slammed on the brakes. The leech was close.

"Stay here! Lock the doors," I snapped out the orders as I bailed from the car and slammed the door behind me.

"Jared! No!" Bella screamed after me.

My clothes shredded as I phased and I instantly started tracking the scent back to its source. _Anybody out there?_ I called mentally.

_What's up?_ Embry answered.

_Bella, Paul and I are just outside Olympia, and I'm tracking a leech's scent. Might be the same one that killed a girl near the arena we were at tonight. A little help would be great_.

_Oh sh_— Embry bit off the rest. _Okay, I'm on the way_.

I caught the mental echo of him howling to get Quil's attention, but pushed him to the background to focus on the task at hand. In this form, my quarry's scent was even more obvious to me. He seemed to have overshot the car, and was a bit farther west. I launched myself forward, ears canted forward for the faintest sound of his movement. He slammed into me out of nowhere, the force of the impact sending me skidding across the forest floor. I was up in an instant, turning on him and swiping viciously with my claws. A screeching metallic sound marked the separation of part of his shoulder from his body. It didn't stop him lunging toward me, arms outstretched. Whatever he was planning, I probably wouldn't like, so I quickly twisted to one side, and he flew past me.

We circled one another, watching carefully for the slightest sign of weakness. Lunge was countered by evasion, thrust by counterthrust. Several of my blows tore off more chunks of his body; some of his moves impacted me, and I probably had at least one broken bone that the adrenaline wasn't letting me feel. Suddenly, he went flying as something crashed into him.

_Got your back, bro,_ Embry told me before refocusing. We ganged up on him, one darting forward while the other cut off escape. We pushed him back, trying to get him as far away from Bella as possible. Working together, it wasn't long before we managed to completely rip him apart. Embry phased back, yanked on his shorts, and then pulled a lighter out of his ankle pouch. I phased back, too, wincing as my already-healing ribs protested. It did keep me from helping him gather the body parts for burning, though; a few more minutes, and I'd be fine. Embry was polite enough not to look at me or otherwise mention my lack of clothing. As he lit a handful of miraculously dry underbrush and dumped it on the corpse-pile, I reflected that it was fortunate we were so far from the highway; the foul purplish smoke of the fire we'd just lit wouldn't attract attention.

"How'd you get here so fast?" I asked him. "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"I was out in the national park already, patrolling down this way. Not all that far to come."

"Thanks, man. Crap, he was strong. Fast, too."

"Did seem a bit tougher than the last one," he agreed. "Wonder what the difference was."

"I don't know, and I don't really care right now, to be honest."

This corpse burned as quickly as the last, and after kicking dirt over the remaining ashes to prevent a forest fire, we phased and headed back to the car.

***

Bella POV

"Let me go!" I screamed to Paul, as Jared burst into wolf form and disappeared into the forest. Paul didn't answer me right away, just stayed where he was, twisted around in the front seat, his arms wrapped around me, pinning me to the seatback.

"He'd kill me if anything happened to you, Bella," he finally told me in a quiet voice. "And I'd want him to. He can handle this—it's what we're born and bred to do. And he'll have called in the rest of the pack by now—he won't be in this alone. We just need to wait and let him do what he needs to do to protect you."

"But what if he—" I couldn't finish. I couldn't even think the rest of that thought. Losing Edward had almost destroyed me; losing Jared would certainly do it.

"He's a strong, skilled fighter," Paul tried to reassure me. "He knows what he's doing."

I sagged down in Paul's grasp, and he loosened his arms to let me sink back onto the rear seat. I couldn't help it as I curled up in a fetal ball, arms wrapped around myself, as I whispered, "Please be okay, please come back," over and over.

"Bella?" Paul's voice roused me. I looked up when the trunk popped open behind me, and saw Embry heading that way. A moment later, and the car door opened and Jared slid in next to me, wearing only a pair of shorts.

"Bella…" Jared's voice was agonized as he saw what I had to look like. He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me. "I love you, I'm fine, we're fine, it's okay, I'm here, I love you…" he told me. We sat there for a long time, completely ignoring Paul and Embry up front. I really didn't even register it when Paul started the car again and pulled back onto the road.

"I was so scared you'd get hurt," I whispered.

"He did get one of my ribs before we took him down," he admitted, "but it's already healed up. I'm fine."

The reassurance didn't stop me from scooting away far enough to run my hands over his chest and sides, checking for damage. He squirmed, and grabbed my hands, bringing them up to his lips to kiss. "I'm _fine_," he repeated. "Are you okay, Bella-love? I'm sorry for leaving like I did, but I couldn't take time to explain. I just couldn't let him get any closer to you than he already was." I knew he wasn't apologizing for what he'd done, but rather for how it had affected me. Now that he was with me again, and I was able to think, I realized that he had only done what he had to do. He'd promised to protect me, and to come back to me; he'd done both. He tenderly kissed me, wiping away my fear with his touch. I closed my eyes, breathing in his rich musky scent. Then he looked to the front seat.

"Something going on back home?" Jared asked Embry. "I called Jake's place and the others, but only got the machine." Embry flinched.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Sam and Billy are at the hospital." Everyone's full attention was immediately on him. "Harry Clearwater had a heart attack tonight, right after he got back from his fishing trip. He was still alive, last I heard, but…it doesn't look good."

"Is Jake there, too?" I asked. "Or on patrol with Quil?" They were the only two pack members not accounted for.

Embry winced. "No," he said, an answer the others found as unacceptable as I did.

"Then where is he?" Jared demanded.

"Harry's heart attack…" Embry seemed at a loss for words.

"Seth phased, didn't he?" Jared surmised. "Guess he was closer than I thought."

"Oh, Seth phased alright, but that's only the half of it."

I looked between the three of them. Paul and Jared were just as confused as I was. What was going on that had Embry this bothered?

"So what's the other half then?" Paul wanted to know.

"They don't think the heart attack was caused by Seth's phasing—I mean, they knew it was coming and all. They think it was because Seth wasn't the only one to phase." Embry took a deep breath, and got the last of it out. "So did his sister."

A deafening silence enveloped the car. "What?" we all breathed.

Embry nodded. "Leah phased too. We now have a new _sister._"

"That's not possible," Jared shook his head in denial.

"That's what everyone thought, but I saw her myself. She's a wolf."

The car fell silent as everyone considered this latest development. For myself, I thought of Charlie. Harry had been one of his best friends for years; they were about the same age, and had similar lifestyles. I couldn't imagine how he must be feeling, as his friend fought for his life.

"Hey, Paul, pull over and let me out, okay? I ought to go fill Jake, and Sam, too, in on what happened tonight," Embry said.

"Sure. I'll come with you. Have my own report to give. Plus, we ought to see what the word is on Harry," Paul brought the car to a stop and left the keys in the ignition when he and Embry got out.

"What is it?" Jared asked, as we got out to move to the front seats.

"Charlie…he must be so worried about Harry."

"He's at the hospital," Embry offered, before he and Paul turned and started for the trees.

"You probably ought to call him," Jared suggested. "We're going to be later than expected getting back."

I struggled to pull my cell phone out of my purse and then dialed as soon as I'd gotten my seatbelt buckled.

"Dad?" I said when he answered.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Charlie's voice was full of stress.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Jared just heard from a friend about Harry, so I decided to call you. How is he?"

Charlie was silent for a moment. "He didn't make it, Bells. He's gone."

"Oh, dad, I'm so sorry." And I was. This was so sad and terrible for everyone.

"I'm going to be here at the hospital for a while with Sue. She's got so much to deal with right now."

_So much more than you know about_, I thought.

"Are you almost home?" he asked next.

"Not yet. We didn't get out of Seattle as quickly as we thought we would. Dad…I think I'm going to stay down at La Push tonight. I want you to do whatever you can to help Sue, but I don't want to be home by myself."

"Okay, Bells, that's probably a good idea." I was relieved when he didn't ask for more information, but figured he had too much else on his mind. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, Bella."

"See you then, dad." As I ended the call, I dropped my phone onto the floor as I focused on the guy next to me. His eyes were even darker than before, and I figured he'd gotten the message.

"Bella?" he asked, searching my eyes intently.

I nodded. "I told you I'd let you know."


	26. I Belong to You

AN: Been a while since my disclaimer, so: I don't own Twilight (or Jared either, more's the pity). I am so thankful for all of my reviewers, who give me boosts, love, suggestions, and advice. Thanks to Daniel'smommy for a recommendation on how to approach this chapter. My goal is to keep it at the current rating, for maximum enjoyment. So this won't be explicit by any means, but if you read between the lines, you'll get the idea, I'm sure. Hope you enjoy.

***

(From the last chapter)

"_Dad…I think I'm going to stay down at La Push tonight. I want you to do whatever you can to help Sue, but I don't want to be home by myself."_

"_Okay, Bells, that's probably a good idea." I was relieved when he didn't ask for more information, but figured he had too much else on his mind. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, Bella."_

"_See you then, dad." As I ended the call, I dropped my phone onto the floor as I focused on the guy next to me. His eyes were even darker than before, and I figured he'd gotten the message._

"_Bella?" he asked, searching my eyes intently._

_I nodded. "I told you I'd let you know." _

***

Jared POV

Forget heart-stopping, this was heart-exploding. As she ended her phone call—to which I'd been a silent eavesdropper—her eyes met mine. Open, loving, intense. My brain tried to catch up with what my ears had heard. Bella had told, not asked, her dad that she was spending the night at La Push, without saying where. She had been driving me crazy all day; not her usual style. And those words 'I told you I'd let you know'…

"Unless you don't want to." Her tone was 90% serious, 10% doubtful.

"Bella, don't ever think that," I admonished, suspecting what she was starting to think. "I'm an 18-year-old guy—we _always_ want to." Her cheeked pinked up a bit at that. "But this isn't about me. I don't want you to offer this out of gratitude or anything. My love and protection aren't dependant on us..." my attempt to, to do what exactly I wasn't sure, was forestalled by Bella's fingers pressing against my lips.

"I know that, and that isn't what this is about. I would feel this way even if you hadn't saved my life tonight. I want this, Jared."

"We've had a lot happen this weekend. I would hate for us to take this step now, only to wish differently later."

Bella smiled at me almost tolerantly. I know what you mean, and I love you all the more for feeling that way. But I know what I'm saying, and I promise I won't regret anything."

"Are you absolutely sure?" I could feel my willpower weakening.

"I am sure that I love you more than I can possibly imagine or express. You are the most caring, considerate, amazing man I have ever known, and being with you has made me so happy. I know that I haven't always made things easy for you, but it means so much to me that you've been so thoughtful with me, and taken things slowly so I'd be comfortable."

"It was nothing less than what you needed and deserved, Bella," I managed.

"That was what I needed then," she agreed. "But that's not what I want anymore. I want…you."

I tried to draw enough air into my lungs to speak. I opened my mouth, and closed it again. I didn't think I was anywhere near as noble as she seemed to think. All of the daydreams I'd tried so hard not to think about flooded back into my mind. Why was I even considering trying to fight this? I wanted this, she wanted this… My hand shot out to wrap around the back of her neck and pull her close to me, claiming her lips fiercely, the power of the wolf welling up within me.

With an immense effort, I relinquished my hold, dropping my head back against the headrest with a thump.

"Wha…?" Bella managed, her eyes cloudy with a passion echoing my own.

"I will be…Washitli tiklo'wa! You are _too _tempting, Bella. But I will not have our first time be in my car." I put the car back into gear and accelerated as quickly as the engine would permit. With any luck, we'd be back in La Push in three hours; I'd have to resist the impulse to speed: with so many proms taking place this weekend, the cops were sure to be out in force.

***

Those three hours had to have been the longest of my life, I decided as I pulled up in front of my house. Bella's presence beside me, and the scent of her shampoo and perfume, had thoroughly intoxicated me long ago. Alone with Bella in the living room, I fought with myself to ask her one last time, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she breathed, coming up on tiptoes, hands grasping my shoulders, and kissing me deeply, her tongue tracing my lips and then the roof of my mouth. I gave an uncontrolled growling groan, as I began to move us both down the hallway toward my room. I was thankful that my mother refused to let me be a typical teenager and have a messy room; Bella deserved the best I could give her, and a clean room was the least of it. I freed one hand from its cradling of Bella's head, and hit the power button on my stereo. The notes of Muse's "I Belong to You" came floating from the speakers.

_When these pillars get pulled down,_

_It will be you who wears the crown,_

_And I'll owe everything to you_

_How much pain has quaked your soul?_

_How much love would make you whole?_

_You're my guiding lightning strike_

_I can't find the words to say,_

_They're overdue_

_I've traveled half the world to say,_

_I belong to you_

"You are everything to me, Bella," I whispered, taking her back in my arms and slowly swaying us across the room, in imitation of last night's prom. You are my muse, the moon whose gravity pulls me."

Bella's head rested against my chest as her arms wrapped around my torso. In echo of one of the song's last lines, she repeated, "I belong to you, only to you, Jared. Now and always."

***

Bella POV

Even though I'd never had any alcohol in my life, the sensation of being drunk was the closest I could imagine to what I was feeling right now. The dazzle I had so often accused Edward of using against me was nothing compared to this. My senses were so confused: in some ways, they were muffled almost into obscurity, and in others, they were hyper-sensitive. The whole world seemed to have contracted down to just this one room, as if nothing else existed. The insect chirps and barking dogs I'd noticed in the past were so distant now that they might not even be out there. The sheet was briefly cool against my back, the cotton soft and smooth. As I looked up into his eyes, it was if I could see right through them into his soul, to see the place there that was mine alone, his center, the magnetic pole in his life.

Every stroke of his fingertips against my skin sent sizzles of electricity racing through my body. Each caress of his lips against mine, along my jaw, earlobes, and neck, everything said volumes about how important I was to him. And when he wasn't kissing me, he was breathing broken endearments in both English and Quileute in my ears. I surfaced from my Jared-induced haze just enough to resolve that sometime soon he would have to tell me everything he was saying tonight, as it was sure to be memorable. Memorable as everything had been, since I'd met him. To think that a drive down to La Push to confront Jacob had led to this was mind-boggling.

As we plunged headlong into the whirlwind, I couldn't help but wonder with my last coherent thought, _"How could I ever have __**not**__ wanted him, even for an instant?"_

***

Jared POV

Long after Bella had drifted off to sleep, I lay on my bed, cradling her against me. Even though I was tempted, as I so often was around her, I resisted the urge to stroke her hair trailing past her face and over her shoulder. She needed her sleep, and I told myself firmly that I wouldn't interfere.

I used the quiet to think, to marvel at how much my life had changed in the past two months. Two months. To have woken up one morning, with my life as normal as it got for a teenage werewolf, to go wake up a friend, and then to have the orbit of my world completely shift. Somehow, I would have to find a way to thank Jacob for having slept late that morning.

Thought of Jacob, brought back memory of tonight's other revelation. For the first time, I allowed myself to mourn for Harry Clearwater. He'd been taken too soon, and he would be greatly missed by our people, the pack, and his family.

I shook my head in bemusement. I didn't doubt what Embry had reported, about Seth and Leah phasing; I just couldn't figure out how it could have happened in her case. As often as I'd heard the stories in the past couple years, I had never caught a whisper of such a thing being possible. I wondered how we'd missed the signs in her; had there even been any signs? Or had we seen them, and just dismissed them as part of the aftermath of Sam's imprinting?

I was distracted by the murmuring of Bella's voice; had I woken her up? It took me a moment, and craning my neck to get a glimpse of her face, before I realized her eyes were still closed, and she seemed to still be asleep.

"Love you, Jared, so much," she whispered. "So perfect, so mine. My Jared."

My heart swelled with love for this wonderful woman, who was somehow mine as much as I was hers. A woman I would do anything to protect.

***

Bella POV

I stirred reluctantly when the sunlight hit my eyelids. I was irritated because I wasn't ready to wake, and confused because the sun shouldn't be in my eyes at all. As my lashes began to lift, I remembered that I wasn't in my bed right now: I was in Jared's, and last night we'd—.

"Hach chi'i, Bella" Jared spoke quietly from beside me.

I turned to face him, groaning softly at my unexpected stiffness. I decided to ignore my morning breath, and touched his lips with mine in a light kiss. "Good morning to you, too," I replied, pleased that I'd remembered what that Quileute phrase meant. He smiled in approval.

"Ayasochid?" he asked next. I looked at him quizzically.

"How are you?" he translated.

I stretched experimentally. "I'm fine," I decided, which was true enough. It was also my standard answer to most questions about my well-being, so I wasn't too surprised that Jared gazed at me intently to judge for himself.

"I'm sure my mom or my sister has some scented bath stuff if you'd like to borrow it," he offered.

I nodded. "Thank you, that sounds nice."

Jared disappeared briefly, and I soon heard the tap running in the hall bathroom. He returned with an oversized bathrobe, which he laid on the foot of the bed.

"If you think you'll be okay, I'll run over to your place and grab you a change of clothes while you're in the bathroom. I probably ought to check in with the pack, too."

"Sure. I'll be fine. Don't be too long, though," I told him, resting my fingers on his forearm.

He bent over for a kiss, which became two, and then three, before he drew back and headed for the door again. "Not long."

***

Jared POV

I ran through the woods at a good clip, anxious to get to Bella's and back to my place quickly.

_Who's up?_ I asked.

_It's me,_ Quil answered. _You okay? Embry filled us in on last night._

_Yeah, we're alright. How's everything here?_ I kept my mind focused on what I needed to know; I didn't figure Bella would want everyone in the pack knowing—oops.

Quil ignored my near-slip. _Billy and Sam are over with Sue and her family. Charlie Swan finally went home to change clothes, so be careful—he might still be there._

_How are Seth and Leah doing?_

_Seth seems fine—with being a wolf, at least. He was able to phase back pretty quick. Not sure if it's really sunk in about his dad yet. Probably hasn't. I remember it took a while for me to grasp it when my dad died._

_And Leah?_ I asked, not sure what answer I was expecting or even wanted.

_She's…not happy._ Quil finally answered. _One more thing screwing up her life, and all that. Took her longer to calm down and phase back than it did Seth; think she's really gonna be mad when it all sinks in. _

_Yeah, she's finally got answers about why Sam left her, why he's with Emily now, but it's not going to help. They're going to be in each other's heads now. Sam's feelings for Emily are going to broadcast in bright Technicolor no matter how much they'll both wish otherwise._ I winced. This wasn't going to be pretty.

_Gotta run,_ I told Quil. _I want to get back to Bella as quick as I can. If you make contact, tell Sam we'll come over to the Clearwater place after a while._

_Sure._

***

I was as good as my word, grabbing an outfit for Bella and a bag to carry it in, and was back home while Bella was still in the bathroom. I left the clothes in a pile by the bathroom door, got out some stuff for breakfast, and tidied up my room while I waited. I'd just finished remaking the bed when I heard the bathroom door open.

"Feel better?" I asked, before losing my power of speech. Bella was standing just inside my room, looking swamped and sexy in my bathrobe.

"I'm feeling just fine," she told me, moving toward me with purpose. I had the eerie sensation of a role-reversal, as if she were the wolf and I the prey.

"Breakfast's ready, if you want some," I offered.

"Good," she smiled. It was one of those female smiles that men were simply not meant to understand. "Don't mind if I do."

I felt the backs of my calves hit the edge of the bed. "Bella…" she was in reach now.

"Mine," she claimed, and I was lost.

"Yours," I agreed, "and mine." Sam would just have to wait.

***

AN: "Washitli tiklo'wa" is Quileute for "I'm going crazy". I used it in the sense of Bella driving Jared crazy.


	27. New Additions

AN: I truly hope that everyone liked how I handled Bella and Jared's 'encounter' in the last chapter. I'm very thrilled that I have somewhere around 190 story alerts for "Wolf and his Girl" and that it's a favorite story for about as many people, but wish I was averaging more than just about 15 reviews for each chapter. Even if it's just a quick "Great chapter", it means so much to me and is a great motivator; of course, if you want to give a detailed review with favorite parts or confusing bits, that's great too.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it was definitely born of a difficult labor of love. Genuflections and excessive thanks to mc7575 for being a sounding board as I tried to work through a sticky plot tangle. Thank you, thank you!

Marie: thank you. I'm a recent convert to the pairing myself, and really like it. I'm glad you like the pacing of their relationship. I tried to take the middle ground between madly-in-love-on-sight and taking-an-eternity. I can only hope I'm not making Jared too perfect: I've had several reviewers ask if he can give their boyfriends/husbands pointers. Lol.

***

Jared POV

I left Bella asleep in my room, and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. As I stood under the hot spray, I couldn't help but puzzle again over the mystery that was Leah. My questions of last night still stood: how could it have happened? And how could we not have noticed? I shook my head as I got out of the shower, sending water droplets flying. Once dressed, I headed into the kitchen. I managed to find the tray we used to use when making mom breakfast in bed for Mother's Day, and loaded it with a bowl of cereal, a bowl of cut strawberries and bananas, and a glass of orange juice. As a last touch, I picked a rose from a bush outside and put it in a tiny vase, then took the tray in to Bella.

"Bella, love, I hate to wake you, but we ought to get going."

"Mmhmph," was Bella's inarticulate response.

"I had Quil tell Sam that we'd be coming over to the Clearwater's today, and I'm sure your dad will be expecting to see you."

One eyelid opened, to reveal a beautiful brown eye. "Do I have to?"

"I brought you breakfast in bed," I tried to tempt her. "And a rose, for the love of my life."

Her eyes brightened, and blinked rapidly. "I love you," she whispered.

I couldn't resist leaning down for a kiss, before leaving briefly so Bella could get dressed. Then I came back and helped her settle back in bed, propped up with pillows with the tray arranged over her lap.

***

Bella POV

When I'd been taking my bath earlier, I'd wondered if, or perhaps _how_ was a better question, my interactions with Jared would be affected by what we'd shared last night, if we'd suddenly go back to feeling awkward. But we weren't. We had become even closer in more than a physical sense.

After we'd both eaten, I insisted on helping wash the dishes, not wanting to leave a mess for Jared's mom when she returned later today. As we started the walk over to the Clearwater home, I decided to ask Jared more about Embry's revelation last night.

"So no one knew Leah, or any girl, could become a wolf?"

"No one had a clue," Jared confirmed.

"What about the signs? I mean, Sam watched Jacob, you all watched Seth, so how could no one notice Leah?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," Jared admitted. "I think part of it is that we weren't looking for it. Since we didn't believe it was possible, whatever signs she _was_ displaying were easily dismissed as something else.

"Something else like what?" That didn't quite make sense to me, so I pressed for a better explanation.

"Leah's been angry for a long time now—a couple years, to be honest about it," he began.

"Since Sam," I realized.

"Yeah. She's in my grade at school now, but I honestly haven't ever known her very well at all. By the time she started high school, she was already dating Sam. Then, of course, he disappeared for two weeks, came back, and abruptly dumped her for her cousin. She had a bit of wild streak anyway, or so I've gathered, and all that just made it worse. She started skipping school, slacking off on homework. Ended up having to repeat her freshman year; something else for her to be mad about. She's avoided Sam, and of course that meant the rest of us too, as much as possible—another reason we didn't notice things. Gonna to be impossible for her to do that now.

"It's going to be rough on everyone, won't it?" I remembered what Jared said, about secrets being really hard to keep. "She's going to know exactly how Sam feels about Emily—like salt in an open cut."

"Yeah," Jared sighed heavily, probably wondering how bad it might actually turn out to be. I hoped, for all their sakes, that it would all work out.

***

I felt my stomach tighten as we came in sight of the Clearwater's house. I'd been old enough when my Gran had died that I remembered what it was like to have someone die, but I didn't know how to handle this. I didn't know how Charlie was going to be handling things anyway, and then there was the secret knowledge behind it all, that he couldn't know.

Most of the pack was gathered in a group outside in the yard. Jared waved a greeting at them, and I nodded, but we kept on going, up on the porch and into the house. Sue was sitting in her living room, surrounded by a group of women from the reservation; Leah slouched in a nearby chair, a closed, angry look appeared on her face when she saw us. Charlie was off to one side, standing against the wall beside Billy's wheelchair.

We approached Sue first. Jared crouched down beside her and took one of her hands in his. "Sue, I was so sorry to hear about Harry," he told her. "I know my parents will be stopping by when they get back later today, but I wanted you to know that we're here if you need anything at all. Anything." I heard, and I suspected Sue did too, the hidden layer of meaning in his words. _We_ meant the pack, as well as Jared's parents, if for different reasons.

"Thank you, Jared," Sue replied, with remarkable composure.

We moved back to give Sue some space, and saw my dad motioning us over.

"Hey, dad," I said quietly.

"Bella, Jared," Charlie replied. To me, "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. But dad, how are _you_ doing?"

Charlie sighed heavily. "I'm not sure. I just can't believe he's gone, Bells. He was my age—this wasn't supposed to happen, not for years."

There really wasn't anything to say to that. None of it should have happened: Harry's death, or his kids becoming wolves. I wondered if Harry would have withstood the shock better if he'd been in better shape physically—he was like Charlie in his eating habits, though my dad got more exercise being a cop. All I could do was give him another hug before Jared and I headed outside.

***

Jared POV

"Hey guys," I said, as I snagged a chair, and pulled Bella down onto my lap.

"Hey," they chorused.

"How are you doing, Seth?" I asked him. He looked up from his spot on the ground beside Jacob.

"Okay, I guess. Trying to get that it's all real, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." And we all did. "If you need to talk, just ask any of us. Except for Paul," I ragged.

"Hey," he protested. "Fine thanks that is."

"He didn't mean it, Paul," Bella twisted on my lap to give me a reproving look, before returning her attention to Paul. "We're thankful you were there last night, Paul. Embry, too."

"Anytime," he grinned.

"What happened?" Seth bounced up onto his knees, spinning around to face us.

"A Cold One followed Bella, Paul and I out of Seattle last night. Embry and took care of him, and Paul guarded Bella."

"You freak out?" Seth asked Bella with a grin.

"Bella doesn't freak about supernatural creatures," Sam snorted softly. Everyone else nodded.

"Not like I haven't been through that before," Bella contributed.

"You've had one of _them_ chase you before?" Seth's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"All the way from here to Phoenix," she confirmed.

"Seth, your curiosity is natural, but save it for later," Sam directed, with a glance around us. There was no one especially close right now, but people were coming by frequently, heading to and from the house.

***

Bella and Kim headed in later to help set up lunch, pulling out some of the food that people had been bringing by. Emily opted to stay outside with us, not wanting to cause Sue or Leah any discomfort with her presence. After eating, Jake and Paul headed out to relieve Embry and Quil.

By mid-afternoon, my parents arrived. They went in to talk with Sue, while Drew and Savannah joined us.

"Sorry about your dad, man," Drew told Seth, and I remembered that they were in the same grade.

"Thanks," Seth ducked his head, clearly not wanting to spend long on the topic.

"Seth, would you like to come over to our place for a while?" my mom asked him, as she and my dad approached our group. "Your mom said it's alright with her."

Seth shrugged, casting a sidelong look at Sam. I held my breath, aware of how delicate this was. As a new wolf, Seth ought to do as the rest of us had, and avoid being around people for a while. But it might raise some questions if he refused, especially since Sue had given her okay. On the plus side, Seth naturally had a lot calmer of a personality than any of us, and his grief paired with the circumstances of his dad's death was bound to have a dampening effect on his urge to phase.

Sam cocked his head, so he could look my way. I nodded infinitesimally.

"I'm up for trouncing you and Drew at some video games; give me something to do while Bella and Savannah have their girl time."

"Have fun," Sam gave his okay. I stifled the urge to take a deep breath at the trust being displayed in my abilities by our alpha.

***

We spent the rest of the day at my house. Bella discussed the prom and our date in sufficient detail to more than satisfy Savannah's curiosity. I spent a couple hours playing Drew and Seth at _Lego Star Wars _and _Guitar Hero_. I'd managed to keep them away from the competitive or violent games; no sense taking chances. Fortunately, Seth had understood without me needing to say anything.

After dinner, I dropped Seth off at his house before driving Bella back to hers.

"I might be a bit late getting back tonight. Sam's called a pack meeting, now that we've got two new members in the pack."

"Okay," Bella sighed, while not relinquishing her grip around my neck.

I wasn't about to resist this temptation, and claimed her lips for a deep kiss. The fire flared up just like it had last night…and this morning. I pulled away only with the greatest effort. "I swear, the second Sam lets us go, I will be on my way here."

"I'll be waiting for you," she trailed her fingers down my arm before sliding out of my car. I waited until she was safely inside, with her father to watch over her, before I drove off.

***

The pack met in the woods as usual, only now there were eight of us instead of six. I still wasn't sure how to feel about this new development. On one hand, more wolves meant expanded patrols, but on the other hand, it made me wonder why we needed so many. I shook it off. Keeping Bella safe was all that mattered to me. Thoughts of Bella, perhaps inevitably, led me to our night together. Some of the details slipped out before I managed to quash them.

_Eewww!_ Seth gagged.

_Ooo boy_, Paul crowed.

_Charlie's gonna kill you_, Jake warned.

_Only if he finds out_, I retorted.

_Maybe he should_," Leah sneered.

_You will not interfere_, Sam commanded. _Bella is Jared's imprint and their relationship is not your concern. Or anyone else's_.

We all knew how much Leah wanted to continue the argument, and how mad she was that she _couldn't_.

_What's up, Sam?_ Embry changed the subject.

_We need to fill Leah and Seth in on what's been going on the past few months. Embry, you and Jared go over the fight last night._

I started off with my impressions, Paul jumping in with what he'd noticed, then Embry shared his perspective. Seth gave an involuntary howl. The others took turns going over our other encounters with bloodsuckers in recent months.

When Leah's red-tinged mind focused in on Bella, I growled low in my throat. _Don't even __**think**__ about it,_ I snarled.

_She's what they want_, Leah declared. _Everything is because of her._

_There were vampires here before she came, Leah,_ Jacob tried to reason with her. _It was just bad luck that Bella ran into Laurent and this Victoria. We don't know anything about this latest one to know if there's a connection or not. Bella didn't ask for any of this—she doesn't deserve your hatred._

_Fine, o high and mighty beta,_ Leah retorted sarcastically.

_Enough. Seth and I will patrol tonight. Jacob, you and Leah will be on tomorrow night. Jared, get back to Bella. Everyone else, go home and get some sleep._

Permission granted, I raced to rejoin my beloved.


	28. Farewell and Complication

AN: Sorry for the delay in getting this one out. End of the semester, for one thing, plus another plot issue road block to work through (thanks again, mc7575). Ended up dumping a third of what I'd written initially because it just wasn't flowing. Hopefully the wait, and revision, will be worth it. FYI: there's a bit of yumminess included to make up for the week between chapter updates.

Marie: I make a point of replying to all reviews. If someone has taken the time to let me know what they thought, then I want to let them know that I've done the same. Yeah, things are rough for the Clearwater's right now, but there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Seth is only 14, so it was a natural reaction, I thought. Glad you liked the last chapter, and hope you like this one too.

Sorry if anyone gets this more than once. Just figured out that asterisks no longer appear within the chapter to break up scenes, so I had to try something else to break up POV's. If anyone knows what marks are approved, please let me know.

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Jared POV

Harry's funeral was that Tuesday. The La Push schools were closed for the day, to honor the elder we'd lost. Harry's non-native friends came down for the public funeral in the morning, though the tribal ceremony in the afternoon would be private. Charlie Swan was there, of course, but I was surprised when I saw that Bella was with him—clearly she'd taken the day off school.

"I wanted to be here for you," she whispered, when I came up to help her out of the police cruiser.

I took a shuddering breath, and briefly hid my face in her neck as I bent to embrace her. "Thank you," I whispered back. Saying goodbye to an elder who had trusted us and helped us was proving harder than I had thought.

Charlie and I exchanged slightly awkward condolences; mine for the loss of his friend, his for my tribe's loss of an elder.

"What will happen now?" Bella asked quietly. "How are elders even chosen? An election?"

"No," I felt the faint ghost of a smile slip quickly over my face. "It's mostly by family connections. I expect Sue will be invited to take his place, and if she'd rather not, then the other elders will consider who might be best instead." Sue was probably going to accept, though; she knew the big secret, and all.

I saw my parents nearby, and waved them over, so I could introduce them to Bella's dad. Bella and I then moved away, so our parents could feel free to talk about us with minimal embarrassment to all.

"I wanted you to know that you've done a good job raising that son of yours." Charlie told my parents. "He's been so good for Bella."

"She's good for him, too," my mom replied. "Your daughter is pretty special, too. Even talking about her makes Jared light up."

During the funeral, my family and I joined Bella and her dad to sit up near the front. Sitting there, Bella's hand clasped in mine, I listened as Billy Black spoke of Harry's life and family, of his friends and hobbies. He'd had a rich and full life, albeit one that had ended far too soon.

Afterward, everyone walked over to the community center for a meal. The younger generation hung around outside, so that the older members of the tribe could eat first; definitely a good idea when the pack was around.

"Hey, Jared, Bella," I turned to see Jake jogging around the side of the building to join us. Being an elder's son came with extra obligations the rest of us didn't have to juggle.

He grinned slyly as he swept Bella up in a hug, before backing away in advance of my mock swipe.

"Find your own girl," I suggested, "this one's mine."

"Sure, sure," Jake retorted, sliding a bit farther away. As his head turned and swept the crowd…

_Was ho!_ I snarled in my thoughts, only barely keeping myself from expressing it vocally. _No way. He didn't!_ My body was frozen in place, as my mind tried to process what it knew had happened, but didn't want to accept.

Jake didn't notice—he was staring at Savannah as if he'd been clubbed over the head by a 2x4. I barely felt Bella's grip tighten on my arm. He had _not_ done this!

"Jared, calm down!" Bella was whispering urgently, as close to my ear as she could get. Her proximity to me had given away the slight vibration of my body. "You two go talk, I'll see to her. It'll be okay, just go before we draw attention." She tried to nudge me away. I went, partly because it was what she wanted, and partly because I knew it was the right thing to do. I was all-too-likely to phase over this, and staying around other people was definitely not the best idea. I gave Jake a look as I passed him, silently demanding he follow me.

We headed past the fire pit, toward the edge of town and the concealment of the woods. I pivoted around to face him, trying desperately to keep control of my temper. I hadn't been this volatile since just after I started phasing.

"You didn't," I repeated again, this time out loud. The irony of me parroting back Jake's words to me after I'd imprinted on Bella was totally lost on me right now.

"You want me to lie about it?" Jake asked me the rhetorical question. This was totally a role reversal from the last time we'd been like this, the day I'd imprinted on Bella.

"Yes," I wasn't going to mince words.

"What good would that do? You said I should find someone, and I did."

"I _didn't_ tell you to imprint on my little sister!" I retorted.

"Who should I have chosen then? Leah?" Jacob grimaced. I couldn't help following suit—only three days a wolf, and already she was making things difficult. "Jared…you know we don't have any control over when or who this happens with."

I knew I was being irrational about this, but I couldn't stop myself. Savannah was my sister, and only 13. _But this can happen: it did to Claire, and she's only 3,_ my mind traitorously reminded me.

"I'm not going to rush into anything, I swear it," Jake vowed. "I know she's not ready for that yet, and maybe I'm not either." Quite a change from the days when he'd dreamed about my Bella. The imprint was probably partly responsible; good.

I guessed my silence was beginning to unnerve him. "Jared, bro, say something. Anything."

"I get it, Jake, okay? I don't like it, but I get it. I'll do my best not to interfere—too much—but I will be watching." It was the best compromise I could make between the disparate inclinations I had right now: the wolf wanting to support his pack brother and the human wanting to protect his blood sister.

He nodded. Then, "So, are we okay now?"

I sighed. "Yeah, we're okay." Like him where Bella and I had been concerned, fighting this just wasn't an option, no matter how much a part of you wanted to.

"Can we go back now?"

I gave him a long look. Just because I was trying to be understanding, and accept this, didn't mean he wasn't going to have to do his part too.

"I'm hungry."

I gave a brief, only partially forced chuckle. "Me, too." It was even true.

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Bella POV

I breathed a sigh of relief when the two of them disappeared. I knew what had happened, and that discussion was best done in private. I knew it was bound to be a bit awkward, having a wolf imprint on another wolf's sister.

"Bella?" Savannah's voice was tentative as she addressed me. "Is something going on?" She'd clearly picked up that something had riled Jared, but didn't seem to have a clue as to what.

I honestly had no idea what to say or do. This was a totally different situation from any other imprint so far. Either the girl had known already (me), been old enough to understand (Emily and Kim), or was too young for it to even be an issue (Claire). Savannah was in a whole different category, on that uncertain cusp between childhood and approaching adulthood: a teenager.

I had to come up with something, and fast. "Savannah, there are some things that girls are just not meant to understand: the workings of a teenage guy's mind top the list."

"Do they have them?" she shot back, more at ease now. Yep, definitely a teenager.

"Usually, although they can lose them at any time and for no apparent reason." I carried on with the theme.

"Don't worry," Kim chimed in, "in a few minutes, they'll be back, and it'll be like nothing ever happened. Right, Embry?" she teased her boyfriend.

"Yeah. Give it a minute, and they'll be back, making a beeline for the food. If you girls want any, you'd better get a move on." He started to guide Kim toward the door, and the rest of us followed. As we moved through the line, I caught a glimpse of Sam ducking out the back door, and figured he was going to check on things. I hoped they'd managed to keep things under control; even their rapid healing still took a little time, and I knew no one wanted to come up with explanations for why Jared and Jacob would get into a fight practically in the middle of a funeral. When all three returned a few minutes later, I was relieved to note the complete absence of any bumps or bruises. _Whew._

"Is everything okay?" I whispered to Jared, when we were all sitting down. I glanced sidelong at Jake, who was mostly focused on eating, only sneaking looks at Savannah every couple of minutes.

"I think we will be," he muttered. "It'll just take some adjusting to. Would you mind hanging out at my house more for a while?"

"Plan to hover much?" I teased.

Jared shrugged, but didn't dispute my assessment.

"Sure. I'd like to get to know her better. And who knows, maybe I'll rub off on her."

He groaned softly. "I'm not sure whether to welcome that or to dread it."

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Jared POV

Bella headed home with her dad for the afternoon. She'd be coming back this evening for a tribal bonfire—our final farewell to Harry. We laid Harry to rest that afternoon, in the same cemetery as his parents, in a casket reminiscent of the carved canoes our ancestors once used. The pack met with the elders afterward. Sue was indeed offered Harry's position, which she accepted.

The other order of business for the pack before the bonfire was going over the ramifications of Jacob's imprinting on Savannah. It was going to be a delicate balance between an imprintee's right to know and the pack's need for secrecy. If my parents had been among those to know the truth behind the legends, it would have been a lot easier all around, but things were what they were. If Savannah were older or younger, it wouldn't be as much of a problem.

"This situation will have to be handled carefully," Sam told us all, though I suspected he was speaking to Jacob and me primarily.

"What do I need to do?" Jacob asked. "What should I _not _do?"

"For now, let's keep the information-sharing to a minimum. She'll need to really get to know you before we can make any kind of judgment about what to tell her."

"We'll also have to figure my parents into things. I know they weren't expecting to have to deal with someone being seriously interested in Savannah for at least a couple of years," I informed the others.

"Couldn't I do like you did with Bella, and just hang out?" Jacob asked me.

"Crap, Jacob, you sound just like a little puppy!" Leah sneered.

Jacob bared his teeth at her, and even human, his expression was fairly intimidating. She didn't seem fazed by it though.

"Bella and I talked a little already, and she's going to be spending more time down here, so we can do some group stuff and start the process a little," I redirected things.

"Aw. I wonder who's going to babysit whom."

"Ever see that Disney movie, _Bambi_, Leah?" I asked, my own irritation with her rising now. "Why don't you take that lesson to heart: if you can't say something nice, then just don't say anything!"

I got away as soon as I could, and headed for Bella's to pick her up. Before we left, I assured Charlie that we wouldn't be out too late.

"We've got school tomorrow, too. The bonfire'll start as soon as it gets dark."

"Drive safe," he told me.

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Bella POV

"Are you and Jake okay now?" I asked as we started the drive to La Push.

Jared rolled his shoulders. "Yes. No. I don't know. Maybe. How could he _do _this?"

"Do you think you're maybe being a little unreasonable about this?"

"I _know_ I'm being a lot unreasonable about this. I'm trying _not_ to be, but part of me just can't help it." I could feel the tension in him, and reached over to rub his shoulder in sympathy. He sighed heavily, and pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the road. "She's…"

"Your sister. Has it ever happened before? Imprinting on another wolf's sister?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I don't think so. Remember, we used to think it—imprinting—was rare, until we started falling like dominoes."

"You know what I think?" I asked him, having finally thought of a sure-fire way to de-stress him.

"What?"

"I think you need to take a break from this—focus on something else for a while."

"Like what?"

"Me," and I leaned over and pulled his head down for a deep kiss. He groaned and reached for me as well.

We clung to one another, bodies pressing together as we plundered each other's mouths.

"Bella…"

"What?" Denied his lips, I worked the buttons on his shirt until I exposed the tattoo on his shoulder, pressing my lips to that instead.

"Not in my car," he groaned.

I pulled his head close again. "You…only...said…the…first…time," and punctuated each word with a kiss.

"Be late."

"So?"

"Get caught,"

"You're the one who said I liked trouble."

"You deserve better," he insisted.

"I deserve _you_!"

His head fell back heavily onto the headrest. I pressed my case by taking advantage of his open shirt front and let my fingers trace along the planes of his chest, outlining his pectoral muscles. He put one hand over mine to stop me and got the car moving with the other. A couple minutes later saw him pulling off onto a bumpy track leading into the forest. The car stopped, then went silent.

"Last chance."

I let my brown eyes meet his black ones. "First chance."

I'd swear he growled as he pulled me out of the car after him, pushing me against the car and anchoring me there with the weight of his body. He was less careful than he'd ever been before, and it thrilled me to see how much I shredded his innate control and manners. Finally managing to get the rear door open, he all but fell inside, tugging me with him. We quickly lost focus on anything but each other and the whirlwind engulfing us.

Jared shifted me to the seat beside him, and we both tried to catch our breaths as we put ourselves back together.

"Hac'h wisatsu'upat, Bella."

"How would I say it to you?" I asked.

"Hac'h ti'iayhl" he told me.

"Hotch tee-all?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Bella? Are you okay? I know I—"

"Am the most amazing man in the world," I insisted.

"Then, as much as I'd like to stay right here, I'd better get you down to the rez. We've got a bonfire we're about to be late for."

We ended up being right on time and found that Embry and Kim had reserved spots for us with the rest of the pack. I was guessing that someone had arranged things so that Jared's family would be sitting within eyesight, so that Jacob could assure himself that Savannah was fine.

Billy took a deep breath, and began to speak. "It happened long ago that Q'waeti' journeyed all over the land setting the people aright and instructing the people that would come in the future how they should act. Q'waeti' instructed the people how to build houses…" As Billy continued to speak of Q'waeti's meetings with the Queets, Hoh, Quileutes, Neah, and Makah, I realized he was telling the same story that had been Harry's to tell at the pack's bonfires. It really seemed fitting that this story be the one told in Harry's honor.

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AN2: Explanation on Jacob's imprinting. Based on the poll, I do realize that most of those who responded really wanted Jacob to imprint on Leah. I did consider it, but just didn't see it fitting in with my vision for the story. I've had a scene in mind between Leah and Bella, which I think will occur next chapter, that I just didn't want to lose (and which wouldn't have been feasible had Leah been imprinted on right now, as would have had to happen had she ended up with Jacob). This way, I get to have my scene, and Leah gets to bug the pack, just like she did in SM's version. But please don't worry, I'm not a mean writer, and do plan for Leah to end up much better off than SM left her.


	29. Add, Stir, Boil

AN: Glad everyone seems to have enjoyed the last chapter, and who Jacob imprinted on.

Fanofyourwriting: Thank you so much! I'm so pleased that you're enjoying the story. I try to update as often as I can, but I do work full-time, am in grad school, and try to have me-time. Plus, I sometimes have to take a little extra time with a chapter to get things to work out right. But don't worry: I started this story, and I will finish it.

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Bella POV

Monday evening, the night before the funeral, we had kept to our routine of having dinner with Charlie. Jared had pulled out all the stops and made dinner again: grilled steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, salad, and herb bread—in thanks for a wonderful last weekend, he told Charlie when asked. I couldn't help blushing, remembering everything that had gone on over the weekend. Fortunately for me, and for Jared too, Charlie had taken my embarrassment to be my usual desire to avoid attention rather than what it really was. Maybe Charlie's focus was off because of his grief. Whatever it was, I wasn't about to argue. I didn't have even one regret over anything we'd done—I just didn't want my dad knowing about it.

Jared really went over the top when he pulled out an amazing spice cake for dessert. "It was my grandmother Hatch's recipe. It was our special thing to make together."

After he left to "go home", I followed Charlie back into the living room. "Dad?"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"Would you be okay with letting me skip school tomorrow to come to Harry's funeral?"

"Didn't figure you'd want to come."

"He was one of your best friends, dad. And with me spending so much time down there, I guess I got to know him some, too."

He looked at me closely for a moment, then said, "Okay. I'll call the school in the morning and get you excused.

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I miraculously managed to avoid Charlie when I got home after Harry's memorial bonfire. Good thing, too. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror and saw that my skin was still flushed. I sat down on the fluffy toilet seat cover and tried to find some coherent thoughts in my brain. Had I really just...with my boyfriend...in the back seat of his car? The me of a few months--or even a few days--ago would have found that idea ludicrous, but now... After our time together Saturday night and Sunday morning, we'd rather come to the unspoken understanding that that sort of "couple time" would be just for us, with no one else anywhere around; the idea of--_Get a grip, Bella, and say the words_--making love with Jared when Charlie was right across the hall, wasn't what I really wanted.

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I walked into school on Wednesday with a definite spring in my step. I knew I was probably being annoying cheerful, especially given the reason for my absence from school yesterday, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to care. It wasn't at all surprising, then, when Angela pounced on me as soon as lunch started.

"Go away, Ben," she commanded. "It's girl's lunch today."

"But it was girl's lunch Monday, too. How much longer can you rehash prom anyway?" Ben tried to protest.

"Apparently, a bit longer," she informed. She did press a shy kiss to his cheek. "I'll make it up to you later, alright?"

As soon as we were alone, she focused on me. "Okay, Bella, spill. What's got you in such a good mood?"

I couldn't help myself, and blushed profusely. I was extremely grateful that my back was to the rest of the cafeteria.

Angela's eyes widened. "Bella?"

"He's amazing," I managed.

"At?"

"Everything."

"You've…?" Angela guessed what I meant, judging from her own faintly rosy coloration.

I nodded.

"Wow."

"He was so great at letting things move at my pace this whole time."

"Did he expect…?" she trailed off uncertainly.

"No!" I shook my head vehemently. "It was…my idea, I guess. I was probably teasing him a bit too much during the concert on Saturday, and…I almost can't believe I'm saying this, but it was what I wanted, Angela." And it was so true.

"I'm happy that you're so happy, Bella," Angela told me, very sincerely.

"I _am_ happy. I'm so happy that I sometimes feel like I ought to pinch myself to make sure it's real."

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The second half of the week sped by. I headed down to La Push after school each day. Besides Jacob, Embry and Kim and Seth all hung out with us: Jared and I, Savannah, and Drew. It was good that Seth wasn't having to give up his friends the way the others had had to do. I wondered if Sam had learned from the situation with Jake and I.

"Giving Emily a bit of a break, mom," Jared told her.

"Very considerate of you," Laura Mahan replied.

Friday night, the entire pack and imprints gathered at the Mahan's for a movie night. The only exceptions were the on-patrol Paul and Quil, and Leah, who apparently didn't care to attend. We had some mild arguments over movie choices, and finally decided on one chick flick and one action movie. We girls picked "27 Dresses", and the guys opted for "Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor".

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Jared POV

I almost envied Bella her wonderful week. Except for Monday and Tuesday nights—which were absolutely, indescribably perfect—the rest of my week wasn't much fun.

Watching Jake make puppy dog eyes at my little sister wasn't my idea of fun at all. I was trying to accept this, really I was, but it was harder than I'd expected. I really understood now how Sam had felt when Quil had imprinted on Claire.

And even phasing wasn't an escape anymore. Leah was taking every chance she could grab to try and make the rest of us as miserable as she was. I'd been right all those weeks ago—the very day I'd met Bella, in fact—when I'd mused that Leah hadn't forgiven Sam and Emily in the slightest. And Bella was proven right as well, when she'd told me just a few days ago that being part of the wolf pack would be painful for Leah.

"Salt in the wound" didn't come close to doing it justice. He was doing his best, but sometimes Sam just couldn't help thinking about Emily, which was always guaranteed to set Leah off. _Drive the knife in a little deeper, why don't you? You traitor!_ was a favored refrain of hers. Sam's patience was truly remarkable; he never once snapped back at her; which only enraged her more—that she couldn't get a rise out of him. _Damn you, Sam, your heart is as black as your fur,_ she snarled more than once_._

Pack meetings were quickly becoming nightmarish, too. Leah made it perfectly clear that she'd rather be anywhere else than at Sam and Emily's place. Part of me couldn't blame her—it had to burn, seeing Emily building a life with Sam, just as she herself had once dreamed of doing. But did she really have to drag the rest of us through it, too?

To her mind, the answer to that was 'yes'. It wasn't just Sam she was mad at—it was all of us, really, and for the same general reason: imprinting. Me, because I'd imprinted on Bella, a vampire's ex-girlfriend; Bella, because of everything. Embry and Kim because they had each other. Quil for finding Claire, and Claire because she was Emily's niece. _Guess you don't care about Claire being __**your**__ cousin, huh, Leah?_ I thought. Jake got it in a double-dose: first for bringing Bella down here to begin with, and because he'd imprinted on Savannah; and Savannah for being my sister. Paul probably got off lightest, since his only crime was rarely thinking before he spoke. And even poor Seth, her own brother, got it sometimes because he was irrepressibly cheerful and didn't balk at following Sam's orders.

During Friday's movie night, we were all glad for the chance to relax. I actually enjoyed the girls' pick more than I expected. It was somewhat amusing to see how much Bella was like the main character, Jane, in some ways, being so sacrificially helpful. I could feel Bella's skin flushing when Jane and Malcolm spent the night in her car; it brought back memories for me, as well. But my favorite part was at the end, right before the shot of the bridesmaids, when Malcolm got to see Jane, his bride, walking toward him. The look in his eyes and on his face was one I suspected I would wear if—when—Bella and I married.

The guy's movie was typical of our gender: fighting and explosions. "Don't worry--_they're_ not real," I assured Bella, using the movie mummies to manufacture a reason to tug her onto my lap. During the credits, Bella stretched up to whisper in my ear, "Not bad, but I wish they hadn't switched actresses playing his wife. Bugs me somehow."

"Me too," I whispered back.

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The next week was much the same. Leah's zings kept getting more pointed by the day, and **a lot** more personal.

Her comments about Bella threatened to make my blood boil, the way she called my Bella a "leech-lover"; she was _my_ lover now, in every sense. She ragged on Paul about being the only guy without an imprint, saying, "Not surprising no one wants to take on the chore of house-breaking you." Paul really lost it that time, the way he hadn't done in a while; only Sam's command kept him from going after her. It was all piling up on us, and I knew that sooner or later, someone was going to totally go off the deep end and then we'd really have a mess on our hands.

But we probably could have dealt with most of this, if Leah hadn't decided to start playing really dirty, targeting the one topic guaranteed to send things down the tubes: Embry.

"Poor little orphan," she'd chant one day. The next, it'd be how he'd turned up like a bad penny. Then, she'd turn on Sam or Jake or Quil, and ask why no one was claiming his brother. Embry flat out told Sam not to pair him with Leah for patrols; no one blamed him in the slightest--our problem was wishing we could do the same. Probably the only reason Embry didn't shut down completely was because Kim was there for him.

Friday night saw me pacing fiercely outside my house, all thoughts of supervising Jake and Savannah forgotten. Bella sat on a lawn chair, waiting me out, most likely.

"I can't stand this," I hissed. "This is driving us all nuts. Practically everything she says or thinks is going straight for someone's jugular."

"Why doesn't Sam do something? Lay down the Alpha law on her?" she queried.

I stopped, and ran my hands through my cropped hair. Then I flopped to the ground at her feet and laid my head against her knees. "I don't know," I admitted. "It's not his style, for one thing. But mainly, I think maybe he feels like she's justified in being angry with him, and he's trying to give her the chance to get it all out of her system."

"Then let her be angry with **him**! There's nothing that gives her the right to take it out on the rest of you." Bella's face was fierce.

"Maybe we didn't hurt her, but all of the rest of us have imprinted, except for Paul and Seth. She probably hates that most of all—the source of all her problems. It's not like we're using what's happened to us to bug her, but we can't help what we feel and think, and she knows that, and it all cycles back to Sam again."

"Hmmph," was all that Bella said about that.

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The next night marked two weeks in the pack for our newest wolves, and we were having another bonfire. I should have known that Bella hadn't forgotten my tirade of the night before, but somehow I had managed to forget exactly that.

Bella and I had just set down the food we'd brought, when Sue came through the door, followed by Leah, who hissed at the sight of us. Bella whirled around with remarkable grace to face her.

"What exactly is your problem, Leah?" Bella snapped.

"My problem?" Leah set the pot she was carrying down on the table with a thud. "Maybe you're my problem."

"Fine. You want to tear into me, well, have at it."

"Wait a sec," I wasn't about to let this happen.

"No, Jared, it's alright. After all, it isn't as if _I _could relate to what's happened to Leah. Of course _she's_ the only girl to have her heart broken, to have every dream for her future shattered by a single word." Bella tossed her head, sending her mahogany hair flying. "It's not like _I've_ had a guy tell me 'I love you' one day, and then say 'I don't want you' the next."

My heart about broke at that; at what Bella had just revealed, mostly likely unintentionally. I realized I'd just gotten my first glimpse at a part of what must have occurred when Bella had gone for that walk with Cullen in the woods, the day he left her. _He said that to you, Bella? __Immortal or not, he was an __**idiot**__!_

I realized Leah was staring at Bella in shock. "Don't you hate him?"

"No. I hate what he _did_, but I can't hate him. He would have left me eventually, I know that; I think I always knew that. And I suppose he granted me a kindness that you didn't get—a clean break. It's not like I have to see him every day, the way you do Sam."

"Does that help? Not having him around?" Leah's anger seemed to have dissipated. _Are they bonding, over their break-ups?_ I wondered.

"Right then, no, it didn't. He told me it would be like he'd never existed—but that was a lie. Everything I saw, everything I did, reminded me of him. Everything I once loved, I couldn't stand: reading, music, school. I totally shut down—spent six months in suspension, clinging to my memories like they were a life raft. But they weren't a raft; they were an anchor, dragging me down." Bella drew in a deep breath, and deliberately let it out again.

"So, what? Jared imprinting on you changed everything, just like that?" Leah was skeptical.

"No, of course not. To be honest, I freaked." Bella gave a wry chuckle. "Kind of funny. I'm okay with vampires and werewolves, but the imprinting was what sent me running." She turned to me then. "That's what I was doing in the woods that day, before you showed up. Thinking 'what the heck are you thinking, Bella?' I guess I got a reality check that day, and it was just what I needed. I couldn't figure out why I was letting someone who hadn't loved me control my life that way."

Bella returned her attention to Leah. "It wasn't instantaneous for me, the way it was for Jared. I'd been hurt badly, and it took a while for me to be willing to open up, to trust him. But he never once pushed, Leah, gave me the time and space I needed." She paused. "You know, I think you might feel better if you looked at this a different way. You've been wondering what it was about you that wasn't good enough for Sam, right?" Leah nodded, and I sighed. _Okay, that explains some of it._

"Maybe it's that Sam wasn't the right one, the best one, for _you_," Bella suggested. "There's someone out there that's going to be miles above and beyond Sam, in terms of being perfect for you, but are you going to see him, if you're focused on what you can't have, what's wrong for you anyway?"

Leah looked dumbfounded, not in an I-just-imprinted way, but in that circling-stars cartoon way, followed by the light bulb.

"You don't have to be ready for it right now, just accept that it can—it will—happen." Bella laughed then. "Of course, it'll still probably surprise you anyway, just like it did me. I came down to visit a friend, and somehow ended up with the man of my dreams." She looked over her shoulder and gave me **that look** again. I couldn't help it, and swooped in for a kiss.

"Sam hates that you were hurt so badly, Leah, really." I told her, hoping she'd believe it this time. "But when you find him…it'll be like nothing you could have ever imagined."

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I judged it best to make a strategic retreat just then, and leave the girls to themselves for a while. I wasn't about to meddle in the miracle I thought was occurring right now. I sank down on a log, feeling rather boneless.

"Was helping out that bad?" Sam needled me good-naturedly. "Jared?"

"I'm in love with a miracle-worker," I announced. A moment of silence, followed by laughter.

"Laugh if you want," I retorted, "but she's done in two minutes what we couldn't do in two weeks—no, make that what _no one _could do in two years."

"Leah?" Sam's dumbfounded expression was actually pretty funny. I nodded.

"She came in, snarky as usual, and Bella just reads her the riot act, then sympathizes with her, and now I think they're _bonding_." I glanced around this gathering of my pack brothers, and saw universally stunned faces.

"Wow," Seth breathed. "So, Leah's gonna be nice again?"

"Maybe not all at once," I allowed. "She _is_ Leah, after all. But I think Bella's getting her started, at least."

While everyone else started discussing this latest development, I looked at Sam, who seemed to have finally recovered, and tilted my head. When we'd move away from the others, I said, "Leah did have one good point this week, Sam, and I think we both know it." He shrugged.

"We've let this go on too long already. We all need to know the truth," I pressed.

"I've done a little checking," he admitted. "There are tests, but its $200 just for one, and we'd be doing three." I grimaced. Six hundred dollars was a lot.

"Cash or check?" a voice asked, making us spin around. Bella was standing behind, well in front of us now. "I can get the money on Monday."

"You've got $600?" Sam asked her.

"Yeah, mostly from working. My so-called college fund. No, wait," she said, holding up a hand to forestall our imminent protests. "It's not like it'll pay for more than a couple classes anyway, and I don't know that I'm even thinking about college at all. You all have done so much for me; now I want to do this for you. Do the tests, and put the doubts and questions to rest."

I took a couple steps, then leaned down and framed her face with my hands. "I love you," I told her.

She smiled a little smile. "I know."

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I hope you enjoyed this. I know it might seem like I was mean to Leah, but she had a lot built up, and this was letting it all drain out of the wound. Not that she'll be all syrupy-sweet now, but things will be better all around.

Next chapter won't be until sometime next week. I've got my final assignment of the semester due on Monday, and really have to get cracking on it. Hopefully this will tide you over. Reviews will inspire and encourage me to be productive so I can get back to this story.


	30. I Love You

AN: Thanks so much for all the positive comments on the Bella/Leah encounter—I'd been envisioning that for a while. I know everyone is eagerly awaiting the revelation of Embry's father, and that is coming soon. I won't do a repeat of the first bonfire and made advance pronouncements, but it will come soon; probably within the next couple chapters (and there I go predicting, again). Now that I'm done with my paper, and have a few days of freedom before my summer semester starts, I'll be able to do some concentrated writing and planning for what comes next in the story.

To my reviewer : I'm sorry my story interrupted your studying for your tests. It's complicated my own school work more than once as well. Good luck.

To my anonymous reviewer: Thank you. I can't answer your question about the future, sorry. Stay tuned and see what happens.

Reviewer Kylee: Thanks so much. I was always straight-A's in English, so that stuff has always been a strength of mine. Thanks for the reminder to not forget about descriptions. I guess I sometimes see things in my head and forget that you all need the words to see what I do.

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Jared POV

Bella was as good as her word, and brought her checkbook with her Monday afternoon. I'd expected to just bring it back down with me after dinner, but she came down to La Push instead.

"Are you sure about this, Bella?" Sam asked her again, as we sat at Emily's kitchen table.

"Yes, I'm sure. Do you want me to make it out to you?"

"That will be fine. I'll take care of ordering the test kits." I suspected there might still be a tiny part of Sam that wished we didn't have to do this, but realistically, he knew this had been put off long enough, and too long, really.

"What do the other elders think about this?" Had I not told Bella? I wracked my brain, trying to remember.

"Harry…didn't commit to an opinion when I brought it up a while back. Old Quil and Billy weren't in favor of the idea." Sam related. Not that I could blame them—things would be pretty awkward if Quil's son, or Billy himself turned out to be Embry's father.

"Well, it's not their decision to make!" Bella retorted. I had to smother a grin seeing my girlfriend getting up in my Alpha's face like that.

"They are our tribe's elders, Bella," Sam justified.

"I know, and I respect that. But _they_ need to respect the rights of tribe members to know who they are."

"But what about my dad's right to privacy, if it is him?" Jacob asked her.

"What about _your friend's_ right to know, Jacob? Billy's had plenty of time—17 years worth—to say that it _was_ him, and about two years to say that it _wasn't_. Time to put up or shut up."

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Bella POV

As Jared and I drove back to my place in my truck for our standing dinner with my dad, I asked him a question that had just started to bug me.

"Jared? Why hasn't anyone just asked Embry's mom? She'd know, wouldn't she?"

He grimaced, and I guessed the question had occurred to him, too.

"Embry said he asked her once, when he was younger, and she refused to say. Told him that it didn't matter—they had each other, and they were doing just fine. He snooped around and found his birth certificate a while back; the space for his father's name is blank."

I traced my fingers along the molded plastic of the truck's dash, wishing it was Jared's arm instead, but not daring. I knew, only too well now, exactly what would happen if I did that While a part of me really wanted a repeat of that drive home last week, we'd be a lot more likely to get caught this time, with it still being light out.

"Bella?" he asked me, concerned with my silence.

"I'm okay. Just thinking."

"About me, I hope?" Jared briefly took his eyes off the road to glance my way.

"Of course," I admitted.

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Back at the house, Charlie wasn't home yet. Jared helped me assemble a pan of lasagna and stick it in the oven. We curled up together on the couch, planning to watch TV while waiting for my dad. As Jared flicked the remote to begin channel surfing, I had just started venturing into dangerous territory again by making my fingertips slide feather-light along the back of Jared's hand. The ringing of the phone made us both jump, and Jared reached an arm out to snag the cordless phone from its charging stand on the side table.

"Swan residence," he answered. "Oh, hi, Charlie. We're just watching TV. Okay, I'll let her know. We'll save some for you. Bye."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Charlie's still stuck at work. His regional police chief's conference call isn't close to done yet. Said for us to go ahead and eat, and he'll see us in a couple hours."

I felt my heart begin to race. I made a decision, and moved to situate myself on his lap. I slid my arms around Jared's neck and bent my head to press kisses to the skin of his neck, the curve of his ear, and along his temple.

"Bella," he protested faintly, even as he went boneless.

"Dinner'll be an hour and a half cooking," I returned to his neck and daringly nipped his flesh with the barest graze of my teeth. "I'm not wasting this time. Upstairs, now," I commanded boldly.

Jared growled, and in a flash was on his feet and moving. Even carrying me, he was taking the stairs two and three at a time. At my bedroom door, I wiggled to let him know I wanted down. "Give me a minute, okay?"

Inside, I quickly lit a few candles, undressed, and slipped under my purple sheets and comforter. The door creaked open, and Jared appeared. "Come here," I whispered huskily, pushing the covers back, oblivious to the slithering sound they made as they slid down to the floor. Catching sight of what I was—or rather, wasn't—wearing had him frozen in place for a moment, before stalking, slowly and carefully, toward my bed, with a feral grace evocative of the wolf he sometimes became, as his clothes dropped to the floor. Reminiscent of our first "morning-after" a couple weeks ago, but with our roles now reversed, he was the predator and I his prey—a fact that didn't frighten me in the least, because I couldn't wait to be caught. I stared up at him, mesmerized by how the candlelight flickered over his body. We said nothing, because words weren't needed. It was he and I, and that was everything.

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An hour later, we were back in the kitchen putting the final preparations on dinner. Reaching into the freezer for ice, I savored the icy chill as it washed over my heated face. I next pulled a loaf of quick-baking garlic bread out of the oven, and we took our plates into the living room. Jared changed channels on the TV, which was still on, so he could check the score on the baseball game.

We were leaning back on the couch, savoring the last traces of dinner on each others' lips, when Charlie cleared his throat loudly behind us.

"Hey, dad," I managed, burying my bright red face in the crook of Jared's neck, and giving thanks that Charlie hadn't come home any sooner.

"Mariners winning?" he asked, ignoring, for whatever reason, what he'd walked in on.

"Just scored the go-ahead run," Jared noted.

We ended up watching the rest of the game with my dad, him in his recliner, Jared and I chastely on the sofa.

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Jared POV

After Bella dropped me off back at my house, I saw a flicker from the trees as she drove away, and knew that one of the pack would follow her home and keep watch until I could get back there. I could see both my parents in the kitchen, and hoped whichever wolf it was didn't have plans for a while.

"Come talk for a bit, Jared," my mom requested.

"Something wrong?" I asked, dropping into a seat at the table.

"No, of course not," my dad responded. "Just seems like we don't get to talk much—just the three of us—so we wanted to take the chance while we could." The steady tick-tock of the wall clock seemed somehow portentous.

"Dad, it's not like I'm going to move out the instant I graduate at the end of May. I'll still be here."

"And probably spending even more time with Bella than you do now."

"Do you mind?" I asked, glancing between my parents. "Do you feel we're spending too much time together?" I held my breath, tracing the wood grain on the table as I waited for their answer.

"No," mom said slowly. "We're happy to see you both so happy. It's just that it's only been a couple months, and you seem really intense."

Two months, two years, two lifetimes—it would _always_ be this intense. "I love her," I found myself confessing to my parents. "I love her down to the depths of my soul." I was distantly aware that I was probably stunning them with my intensity, so far beyond what would be typical of an 18-year-old. There was so much that I would never be able to share with them, but I could give them this much, a glimpse into how much Bella truly meant to me. "We haven't talked much about the future, but I _know_ that I'm going to marry her someday."

"Have you told her this?" mom demanded, once she'd recovered her powers of speech.

I shook my head, absorbing the fact that I'd said that out loud for the first time. "No. Like I said, we haven't talked any long-term details. But I know—I feel—that it'll happen."

"Well, if you still feel that way down the road…" dad began.

"How I feel about Bella will _never _change. I'm not saying we're ready now, or for a while yet, but when we are, I hope we'll have your blessing, because I cannot imagine living my life without her." My parents each reached out a hand, to rest on top of mine.

"You will." I nodded in gratitude. It meant a lot that my parents approved of Bella, and that they'd welcome her into our family someday.

The last thing they brought up before they let me head to my room, was to ask if I thought Bella might like a joint graduation party.

"I was talking with Kim's mom Julia, with Embry's mom, and with Sue. We were thinking a big group thing would be nice—convenient, too, especially for Sue. I know your Bella doesn't like being the center of attention. If she were part of this, she'd have the experience without all the focus being on her," my mom explained.

"Sounds good to me, but I'll check with Bella and her dad—make sure they don't already have plans.

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A week before my high school graduation, I considered becoming a murderer. Not of a vampire—human-killer or otherwise—but of a pack member, a brother. Specifically, Jacob. That entire Saturday, he did nothing but drive me crazy—and we weren't even in the same part of the state!

Jacob's older sister Rachel was graduating from Washington State University early and Billy had decided that he and Jacob needed to attend, a drive all the way to the Tri-Cities in the southeast part of the state. Jake tried every excuse he could think of to get out of it, but his dad insisted. So, not only did he have to do something he wasn't really interested in, but he was forced to spend the entire day away from his imprint. Naturally, this meant he was checking in. frequently to make sure Savannah was fine. Of course, he couldn't call his best friends, Embry and Quil; oh, no. He kept calling _me_! Bella and I were trying to have a quiet and romantic cliff-top picnic, and Jacob's hourly calls were majorly cramping my style.

"Jared," Bella tugged my head around so she could look at me, "would you be any different if your places were switched?"

That's beside the point," I insisted. "There are six other people he could be pestering—it doesn't have to be me, just because I'm her brother. And it definitely doesn't have to be every hour on the hour either!" Bella stopped my ranting in its tracks by the simple expedient of flattening me to the ground and initiating a deep tongue-dueling kiss.

When my cell phone rang again, it was Bella who started muttering. She rolled over, grabbed my phone, and snapped it open. "Jacob Black," she growled, "Savannah is fine. She was _fine_ the last four times you called, and she'll _be_ fine the next dozen times you call, too. If you _must_ get further updates, then you _will _call someone else, anyone else, in the pack. You _will not_ spoil my day any more that you have done already, or I promise that I will make you regret it very, very deeply." She flipped my phone closed and tossed it aside.

I stared at her in awe, unable to help myself. Her brown eyes were flashing and her face was flushed. Sliding her close to me, so that her head rested on my shoulder, I couldn't resist asking, "So what would you do to him if he didn't listen to that warning?"

"Don't you mean 'what _will_ I do to him' _when_ he doesn't listen?"

A cool breeze carrying the salty scent of the ocean below ruffled the grass around us. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her close to me and warm. "Well?" I asked again.

"I'd make a special batch of brownies, just for him," she replied, her voice full of smug amusement.

I twisted my head to try and see her face. "You'd make him brownies? Wouldn't that be a reward and not a punishment?"

She lifted her head and I saw the fierce look on her face. "Nope," she made the "p" pop. "Because I'd add a special ingredient in place of the usual chocolate chips." The devilish look in her eyes made me understand exactly what she meant, and I devoutly hoped that Jacob would listen. _Otherwise, he'll be spending a lot of time in the bathroom._

"I love you," I told her, and set about proving it once again. We spent the rest of the afternoon out on the cliff, listening to the pounding of the surf, and the rustle of the trees, as if the rest of the world didn't exist.

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Bella POV

When we got back to Sam and Emily's, the rest of the pack had to give us a hard time. Jacob had ended up heeding my warning and pestered the rest of the pack instead of us. I was completely unrepentant.

"Would you want your private time with Kim interrupted by his incessant calls?" I retorted to Embry.

"It _was_," he shot back.

"Better you than me." From the corner of my eye, I could see Jared smirking at the others.

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Sorry for all the AN's this time; guess I've had lots to say this time. Thank you to all my faithful reviewers, all to those who are new. The story's at 469 right now. Only 31 to hit the 500 mark, so this chapter, maybe?

Once again, special thanks to mc7575 for being such a great sounding board and supporter. You're the best.


	31. Graduations

To everyone: Thank you so much. I love the morning after an update, when I wake up to an inbox filled with reviews. What a great start to my day. This has been such an adventure so far and so much more than I ever dreamed. Wow--31 reviews just on the last chapter--a new record. And I'm now over 500 reviews for the whole story. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, whether just on one chapter or on all 30. Enjoy this new chapter. Oh, I did a little tweaking to the last chapter, but nothing major. (FYI: there is a profanity used in this chapter; just one, but it fits the situation.)

srose: I thought about it, but then I figured Jake was having a bad enough day as it was (being away from his imprint), that I thought I'd be nice. Plus, I'm portraying him as being more mature than he usually comes across when Bella is another wolf's imprint, so him exercising some common sense fits with my characterization. But the punishment is now on record for future need.

kajakoo: Thanks, and here's the new chapter you asked for.

Jared POV

This last week of school hadn't been too bad, and pack life was better than it had been in a while. Sam had ordered the test kits, which had arrived by the end of the week, been done, and were now on their way back to be tested.

Leah was a bit nicer to be around these days. She hadn't turned all sugary-sweet or anything, but the little exchange between her and Bella had clearly done something toward altering Leah's outlook on, well, everything.

I'd debated with myself for a while on whether or not I should talk with Bella about what she'd told Leah regarding her break-up with Edward Cullen, wavering first one way and then the other. Finally, I'd asked Jake.

"I wouldn't bring it up," he'd finally answered, after considering it for a bit. "She probably forgot that anyone besides Leah was in the room right then. It'd embarrass her to be reminded, for one thing."

"Any other reasons?"

He ran his fingers along the rough bark of the tree he was leaning against. "She's moved on," Jacob told me simply. "Doesn't seem like she thinks about them—or him—much, if at all, anymore." He gave me a knowing look, alluding to what Bella _was_ thinking of these days. "She wanted to help Leah and the pack, so that's why she mentioned it. If Bella wants to talk about it with you, she will. If not…"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Guess I'll wait and see what happens."

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Bella POV

The last week of my high school career passed in starts and stops, speeding by whenever I was with Jared, and dragging whenever I wasn't. Jared had shared his mom's offer for me to be part of a group graduation party down at La Push. I wasn't big on parties, but it was more time to spend with Jared and I guessed that one day I might end up regretting it if I passed on the chance, so I'd agreed. I did lay down the law to Charlie about my embarrassing childhood photos.

The last day of school, I'd gotten my yearbook with no small amount of trepidation, irrational though it might be. Would I see their faces staring back at me from the glossy pages? As it turned out, I didn't need to worry--they weren't there. Alice and Edward were listed as having started the year here, but then it was added that they had moved away. It probably wasn't surprising—they had always lived on the fringes. I was sure that they had skipped school that day each year on purpose, to avoid getting their pictures taken officially (and, honestly, who would have dared take their pictures casually, either? They hadn't been in the habit of making friends before me.). With this new digital age, it had to be getting harder for them to remain completely under the radar, especially with as often as they went through high school.

Other than turning in textbooks and cleaning out lockers, the teachers didn't try to make us do anything. We got to roam around, signing one another's yearbooks and talking about future plans. School let out at noon, and I made a beeline for La Push. Jared's school was also letting out early, and I couldn't wait to spend the entire afternoon with him. I was bringing along the box of mementos that would be displayed on my table at the party. I had the ticket from our Muse concert and a CD of theirs that Jared had given me, a few of my favorite books, pictures of me with my parents, or me with Jared, and the tiny cactus I'd brought with me from Phoenix and had somehow managed not to kill.

Jared had decided that we wouldn't be supervising the younger set tonight. "Seth can keep an eye on Jake and Savannah," he told me. "Drew's there, too, and our cousin Collin. Tonight is for us." We spent our time just lying on his bed, listening to music.

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Jared made sure to wake me up early the next morning. "You won't want to be rushing around at the last minute." He ended up being right. Charlie surprised me by swinging by the diner to pick up breakfast, so that I didn't have to cook or make do with frozen Pop-Tarts. I even had enough time to pull out an old set of hot rollers and really fix up my hair.

Charlie was waiting for me downstairs. "Can't believe this day is here. Seems like just yesterday you were a baby; now you're graduating."

"Thanks for everything, dad" I gave him a hug.

"Welcome. Now, let's get you over there."

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I ended up standing in line right behind Jessica Stanley, but I pointedly ignored her. I hadn't forgotten that grocery store incident, and just didn't feel like dealing with her emotionally-fueled graduation make-up attempt. Angela gave me a sympathetic glance when I looked her way.

A few repetitions of "Pomp and Circumstance" later, we were listening to a succession of graduation speakers. Eric Yorkie got a little too emotional as he rambled on about where we'd been and where we were going. I ascended the stage steps very carefully when my name was called, wanting to end my time at Forks High on a high note, and not with an embarrassing fall. A cacophony of whistles, cowbells, and shouts after my name sent my eyes up to the bleachers once I was safely back on the floor. I noted that Jacob and Billy were there. Jared was sitting with his family beside my dad and…I gasped when I saw that my mom and Phil were sitting at the end of the row. _What?_

After the graduates processed outside, I waited impatiently for everyone to find me.

"Bella," Jared got to me first, sweeping me off my feet and spinning us both in a circle. I managed to hook one leg around his waist. The fact that all of my schoolmates and their families were around us meant nothing when he was kissing me like this.

"Ahem," Charlie's throat-clearing reminded me that Jared and I's entire families were also witnesses to our demonstrative PDA, and that only he had been witness to anything approaching this much between us. My feet back on the ground, I flung my arms around my mom, giving her a tight hug.

"Mom! What are you doing here? Why didn't you say you were coming?" my questions tumbled out in rapid succession, not giving her a chance to answer.

"This is your only high school graduation, sweetie. How could I miss this? I didn't tell you because I wanted it be a surprise." When mom relinquished her own hold on me, I moved to give Phil a hug, too.

"Thanks for coming," I said to my step-father. He nodded. "Congratulations."

All of us went out to lunch at the steakhouse that passed for fine dining in Forks. Jared charmed my mom by praising me so much that I started blushing, and talked baseball with Phil. Then we all headed down to La Push for the day's other graduation ceremony and the party. The rest of the pack joined us for this ceremony, to honor the two members and one imprint graduating today. I heard Paul mutter, "One more year," under his breath.

I was happy to see that Leah seemed to be doing better. As odd as it was, I really thought that she had felt alone and misunderstood. She'd probably had some right to feel that way, just as I had. After all, her dad had been one of the elders, and one of Sam's supporters. I couldn't imagine how I would have felt if Charlie hadn't been 100% on my side all this time, even if he hadn't understood most of it.

It felt like I met most of La Push that day, the names blurring together like they had my first few days in Forks. I got to meet Jared's aunt and uncle, and cousins both close and distant.

"Happy graduation," I told Jared when we had a moment to ourselves, as I handed him a wrapped box.

"Thank you, Bella. Happy graduation to you, too. Do you want me to open this now, or wait?"

"Now is fine." I really did want to see how he liked it.

He tore off the paper, opened the box, and stared. "Bella?"

"Yep," I nodded. "What you see is what you get. It's already loaded." He turned it on and watched silently as pictures of me and him, and us together appeared and faded away.

"You didn't have to spend this much. Digital photo frames are--" I laid my finger on his lips.

"You are worth it," I echoed what he'd told me many times in recent months. He set the box carefully on the table, and hugged me tightly. "Thank you."

"Now yours," he said, pulling a small bag out from underneath the table.

I removed the tissue paper and folded it neatly into a square, surprisingly eager to get this present, and yet perversely wanting to draw the moment out. "Bella..." he drawled.

I peeked inside and saw an intricately woven leather bracelet. Pulling it out, I could see that a number of leather strands were braided together; threaded onto some of the strands were turquoise and green opal beads.

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Jared POV

I watched Bella's eyes well with tears as she registered the significance of the beads. Green was my favorite color, so that represented me. The turquoise was for Bella's former home in Arizona. Sue had really come through for me again, by finding these beads.

"Jared, this is beautiful!" Bella moved into my arms, and I gave her a tender kiss, soft and sweet in deference to our audience.

"It's a promise, Bella," I gazed at her intently.

"A promise of what?"

"My promise to be there for you, always. To be whatever you need and want me to be. A promise for the future, our future, whenever you might want that." I hoped that she would understand my quiet vows. I wasn't proposing marriage, exactly, but in our tribe this kind of bracelet served as a promise of intent.

Her brown eyes reflected comprehension. "Help me put it on?" I nodded, and deftly fastened the bracelet around her wrist. Looking around, it was easy to see who did, and who didn't, get the significance of what I'd just—we'd just—done. Sam and Billy and Sue all nodded slightly in acceptance and approval. A minute later, my mom was giving me a hug, and Bella's was gushing about the "gorgeous bracelet".

The rest of the day was taken up with eating, talking, and even a little dancing. I was able to talk Bella into coming out onto the floor for a few of the slow numbers; I wasn't going to complain, as it was the perfect excuse to hold her close. We snuck outside for a while, just to have a little time to ourselves. Hidden in a small cluster of trees, it was almost like we were all alone.

"I didn't push things too far, did I?" I wasn't quite sure why I was asking for her assurance, but there it was: I wanted it.

"No, you didn't push. You just let me know how important I am to you. Well, me and most everyone else in your tribe, right?"

I echoed her soft chuckle. "Yeah, something like that."

"When I am ready," she promised, "you'll be the first to know. Not that this means you won't have to ask me—and Charlie—properly.

"I know. Hope I won't freak you out by saying that he expects it."

"Charlie's _expecting_ you to propose?" Bella was clearly surprised.

"Yeah—someday. He told Billy and Harry that the day we went to Seattle; of course, he didn't realize he was telling me too. I was inside the house, picking up the necklace from Sue," I added in clarification.

"What did he say?"

"Something like him not looking forward to it, but expecting that I'd have a talk with him at some point. He doesn't want to lose you, but he does want you to be happy and he believes that I do that for you."

"Yes, you do." She agreed with the last bit, then thought about the rest for a moment. "Well, at least you won't have to worry about how he'll react."

"True. When the time comes."

We headed back inside before anyone got concerned enough to start looking for us. On our way, we passed a group of kids playing hide-and-seek. As I held the door open for Bella, I heard the 'it' say, "Ready or not, here I come!"

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I hated to see Bella leave with her family. The more so because I knew that between my family and hers, it would be a while before I'd be able to make it over to her house. And I was right—I wasn't able to sneak out for over an hour; not that I totally minded hearing my aunt gush about how perfect Bella was for me and how amazing we looked together. I phased and ran to Bella's as fast as I could, eager to be with her again. But when I was about a mile away, I skidded to a stop. I barely restrained an instinctive howl, and instead called out mentally.

_Hey! Who's on?_

_What's up?_ It was Quil. A moment later, I heard Seth, too.

_Leech!_ I snarled.

_Where?_ Quil was instantly focused.

_About a mile from Bella's. Tracking it now. Shit, it's heading straight there!_ Panic filled me, and I put on a burst of speed. I _had_ to get there, and I had to do it now!

_On the way!_ Quil announced. _Seth, call the rest of the pack._ A distant howl confirmed Seth's compliance. I felt other minds join us as I hit the edge of Bella's yard, but ignored their frantic demands for information—besides, it wasn't like they couldn't pick up on what I was thinking and sensing anyway. The vampire's scent wasn't familiar, yet it tracked straight to the house. I snuck up close, and caught a trace of the same scent heading away on a different path. Concealed by the shadow of the house, I quickly phased, and scaled the tree to Bella's window.

"Bella!" My heart stuttered and resumed a more normal rhythm when I saw her lying on her bed, a book open beside her.

"Jared?" Her rapid rise from the bed sent her book sliding to the floor. "What's wrong?"

I reached her side, and pulled her into my arms, shaking not from an impending phase, but from sheer relief that she was fine.

"I smelled a vampire outside, someone new." I managed, sinking onto the bed with Bella still wrapped in my embrace. Her breath caught, and her hands sought and clung to mine. I couldn't say how long we stayed like that, glued to each other and trying to ignore this new threat.

"Bella?" a hoarse whisper brought our eyes to the window, where Jacob was leveraging himself inside.

"She's fine."

"Everyone's on the way to start looking," Jacob reported. "I did a quick scan. Scent seems to be a few hours old—must have been here when everyone was down at the rez."

"Why?" Bella gasped.

"Don't know," Jake told her, correctly assuming that I wasn't up to doing anything more than hold her. "Did you notice anything when you got back?"

"No. But I wasn't looking either," Bella replied. She squirmed, and I forced my muscles to relax just enough for her to be able to look around her room.

"Laundry," she muttered.

"What?" came from both me and Jake.

"I couldn't find my sleep pants and camisole tonight. I figured I must have just tossed it in the laundry and forgotten. Why would they have taken my clothes?"

"Meeting, now," I declared; I didn't have an answer, but I was sure that whatever the answer was, I wouldn't like. "Feel like sneaking out?" I questioned Bella.

She took a deep breath. "Sure." She moved toward her dresser when we stood up, and pulled out a sweatshirt, then followed us to the window.

I went down first and Jake helped her drop down into my arms. "Feel like taking a ride?" She looked at me blankly. "It'll be faster if I phase and let you ride on my back."

Another deep breath. "Okay."

I darted into the trees to phase; Jake and Bella joined me a minute later. He helped her settle onto my back, then moved away so that he could phase.

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We headed back toward La Push, moving swift and sure through the trees. When we reached our usual clearing, I lowered myself carefully to the ground, and Bella slid off my back to sit next to me. Jake dropped close to her other side.

_Just helping to keep her warm, bro,_ he offered in explanation.

_Thanks._

She curled up by my side, with her head leaning against my shoulder—just as we slept when I was human. Jake's and my own even breathing soon lulled her into a light sleep.

_Amazing,_ Jake marveled. _A_—_never mind. Wihl, Hla'o, Qa'al, Ba-iyas, Tasi…_He started counting in Quileute, trying not to finish his thought. I didn't push it; I'd had enough bad news in the last little while without going looking for more. We sat there for a while until the others joined us. I nudged Bella awake when I heard them approaching.

"Wow," she whispered, when she was able to make them out. I followed her gaze, trying to see my brothers and sister the way a non-wolf might. Seeing them approach in a unified synchronous movement _was_ pretty impressive, I had to admit. Especially when all involved were six- and seven-foot tall wolves. Leah was a bit smaller than the rest, but that was true when comparing male and female 'real' wolves, too. Seth, I noted, still moved a bit awkwardly, like kids do when adjusting to a rapid growth spurt.

_Jared, would you go over everything for us, please?_ Sam requested.

I tensed, involuntarily. Bella began stroking from my head down along my back.

Paul's _Aww_, was swiftly followed by Sam's _Shut up, Paul!_

_You okay, Jared?_ Sam asked me.

_I will be. Just give me a minute._ I just sat there and let Bella's touch calm me back down. How had she known just what I needed? I was then able to do what Sam had asked and run back through what I'd sensed on my run in, as well as what had been discussed in Bella's room. The pack was initially as mystified as I was about why Bella's things had been taken.

"My clothes would carry my scent." Bella interjected into the physical silence. It was a little—okay, more than a little—strange sometimes, how she could be so aware of what was going on around her.

_How did she know?_ Seth blurted.

_Get used to it, kid,_ Jake advised.

We all turned to look at her.

"I know, from being a cop's daughter I guess, that when they use dogs to track people, they give the dogs something to smell that that person touched or wore. If this vampire took my clothes, they must mean for someone to come looking. Just like James." I could feel her fingers gripping my fur tightly—her only expression of fear. I shifted, trying to let her know that I wanted up. When she let go, I got up and bounded behind a tree to phase, returning to her in a flash.

"I won't let them get to you, Bella. I won't let them find you." I brought her onto my lap and started rocking gently.

"How do you plan to do that?" I looked up to see that Sam had also phased back.

Suddenly, the light bulb went off. "Bella got a couple plane tickets to Florida for her birthday. I think we'll use them this coming week and go spend some time with her mom."

"We?" Bella asked.

I looked down. "Yeah. Surely you didn't think I was going to let you go without me?"

"No. But I just don't want anyone put in danger because of me."

Sam crouched down beside us. "We won't be. Jared will be with you, so he won't be distracted during a hunt; we'll know you're not in harm's way, so _we_ won't be distracted."

"Charlie?"

"Between them, I think Billy and Sue can keep him occupied down at La Push when he's not a work. If he's at home, we'll have someone on guard. He'll be fine, Bella," Sam promised.

She was quiet for a minute. "I can call the airline in the morning," Bella offered. "Mom and Phil were planning to head back on Monday."

"Sounds good," Sam decided. Then, "You better get her back home, Jared, before she's missed."

"Sure, sure," I borrowed Jake's habitual phrase, but shifted Bella to the side so that I could go phase again.

Back in her room, Bella pulled out the envelope we'd found weeks ago beneath her floor, the one that contained the plane tickets. She laid it on her nightstand so she'd remember later in the morning.

"It's funny," she mused. "How things can be so different, and yet still the same."

"What?"

"A bit over a year ago, I had another vampire after me, a family willing to protect me, and I was running. Same thing here."

"Do you not like the plan? Do you want us to think of something else?" Not that I was sure what that might be. This plan was about perfect.

"No. It _is_ a good plan. I'm just worried, I guess."

I settled us back onto her bed, and began stroking down her arm. "What about?"

"Getting our parents to agree, for one thing."

I chuckled quietly. "Bella, we're both eighteen, and done with school now. Not like they can legally stop us."

Bella giggled softly. "Guess you're right. I'm probably making something out of nothing. And it _would_ be nice to see Florida; Renee has gushed about their house there."

"Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing you in a bikini at the beach." My voice deepened as I pressed in for a kiss.

"I'll have to buy one then. And what will your suit be like?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, love."

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As a thank you to everyone who submits a signed review for this chapter, I will reply with: either what Jacob tried not to think or a teaser for the next chapter. Really good reviews might even get both!

Sorry for not having this up Friday night like I planned—fell asleep on the couch instead. Hope this longer-than-usual chapter makes up for it.


	32. FUn in the Sun East Coast Edition

AN: Wow: 30 reviews in just under 12 hours, and 50 total for the chapter so far. Glad everyone seems to have enjoyed the graduations, and hope that you liked your teasers too. Here is their fun and yummy Florida trip. Note to self: bribery is highly effective; so to see if I can get this kind of response again, there will be another teaser provided for those who submit signed reviews for this chapter too.

Shay: I'm glad you liked it.

Kajakoo: Thanks. It should be soon—after they get back from Florida.

Jared POV

Getting parental permission for our trip turned out not to be as big a deal as Bella had feared. Her mom and stepdad were thrilled she wanted to come visit them, and her dad could hardly raise any objections to her going. I, on the other hand, got a very long look when Bella told him I'd be coming too. I privately assured him that I would continue to respect any and all boundaries Bella set.

My parents were stunned when I told them that the ticket was already taken care of.

"It was Dr. and Mrs. Cullen who got her the tickets, mom, not their son," I said, when she questioned the issue. "She doesn't want to waste them just because he was a jerk."

Savannah just giggled to think of me flying cross-country to vacation with my girlfriend and her mom. Drew, by contrast, wasn't happy that our parents wouldn't agree to make it a family trip.

The second ticket had been easily switched from his name to mine. Apparently, for top-of-the-line premium first class tickets, there wasn't much that the airline wouldn't do to make the customer happy.

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We got some funny looks from the other first class passengers; I guess young couples weren't typically what they expected to see. Unlike the movie theater seats, these armrests didn't get in the way of us cuddling for the entire flight.

Florida, I discovered, was every bit as humid as Forks. The difference was that it was a hot humidity rather than a cool one. I wasn't going to complain, though—the conditions were such that excessive clothing wasn't welcome.

I got invited by Phil to take a tour of his ballpark that afternoon while Bella's mom took her shopping. I ended up having a pretty good time, even though I was texting Bella frequently. I'd have to avoid thinking about this when we got back; Jake in particular would really rag me about it if they knew.

"You have got it bad, haven't you?" Phil commented.

"I do?"

He looked pointedly at the phone in my hand. "You haven't stopped texting her since she and Renee left the house.

I knew I probably looked a little embarrassed, but I didn't deny it. "Guess I do. We've spent most every day together, almost from the beginning. I'd do 24/7 if I could."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to try to play the dad card. That's Charlie's job, for one thing." We headed across the field toward the bullpen.

"I suppose that did sound a little obsessive," I reflected.

"After what she went through, I think she deserves to be the center of someone's attention. I remember how worried Renee was about her."

I nodded and started checking out the bats. "Yeah, she was pretty broken up about it. He sure did a number on her emotions."

"You ever meet him? Renee did once, that time Bella ran off to Phoenix and got hurt. She seemed impressed with how attentive he was. Wonder what changed?"

"No, I never met him. Their family didn't come down to La Push. I have no idea how he could do that to her; maybe he just didn't know what he had. Certainly didn't value her the way she deserved."

"Well, you keep treating her the way you have been, and you'll do just fine."

"Thanks."

He powered up the pitching machine and gave me the chance to practice hitting some balls. I had to make special effort not to use all my strength as I swung the bat, but it was still fun.

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Phil had practice the next day, so Renee offered us her car so that Bella and I could spend the day at the beach.

"Mom, I don't want you to have to stay home alone," Bella protested.

"I've got things to work on, sweetie. I'll be fine. And you two won't want me hanging around. Go and have fun. But remember your sunscreen."

"I will, mom," Bella rolled her eyes once Renee's back was turned. I guessed it was something Bella had heard most of her life, what with being so naturally pale.

"How about I help you with that?" I whispered. Bella just smiled.

At the beach, I let Bella scope out the best spot for our towels and the beach umbrella.

"And now, my Bella, time for your sunscreen. I have no intention of letting you become the least bit pink—unless it's from blushing at all the compliments I'm going to give you."

"Uh-huh," Bella sounded indulgent rather than doubtful, so of course I turned to look at her.

For what seemed like the millionth time since March, Bella rendered me completely insensible. If I had thought Bella in her prom dress was amazing, and Bella in my bathrobe was indescribable, then Bella in a tiny green bikini was…mind-blowing. I couldn't get over how tantalizing those small scraps of green fabric were: concealing very little, yet torturing me with what they did hide. The strings on either side of her hips were just begging me to—_Bad dog!_ I mentally knocked myself; I so could not go there. The little keyhole in the middle of the bikini's top, the strings tying it around her neck…The look in her eyes, sly and sexy, told me that this was precisely the effect she'd been going for. "Whipped", Quil had called me once—well, I, for one, wasn't complaining. She could do this to me any time she wanted.

"Atila-chid?"

One delicate eyebrow lifted. "What am I doing? Teasing you, apparently." Bella didn't appear at all repentant.

"You know what they say about playing with fire, don't you?" I moved around behind her, uncapping the bottle of sunscreen as I did so.

"What's that?" her breath hitched ever-so-slightly at the first touch of my hands on her back. I didn't take things as far as I wanted to—we were on a public beach, surrounded by families and kids, but it was more than enough to wind both of us up. Probably not the smartest thing to do, what with staying at Bella's mom's house this week, but…

Bella, of course, returned the favor in equal measure. I tried to use my naturally dark complexion to argue that I didn't need sunscreen, but Bella merely said, "Skin cancer", and proceeded to slather me up.

Hand in hand, we walked toward the water. I had to admit that this sandy beach awash in sunshine had some advantages over the ones back home. As we waded into the surf, Bella gasped in pleasure as the warm water swirled around her. I kept an arm around her waist so she didn't stumble, and my body positioned to take the brunt of the waves. As my fingers slid across her skin, sparking the familiar fire, I couldn't help looking down at the wonderful woman next to me. Bella took advantage of my inattentiveness to fall into me, sending us both underwater.

When we came up for air, I picked her up and spun around before launching her carefully into the deeper water. She retaliated by splashing water into my face. The rest of the day was a blast. We took breaks to eat from the picnic basket Bella had packed, floated in the water, and hunted for shells along the shore. Of course, I took full advantage of the need to reapply Bella's sunscreen and to shower her with flowery compliments.

"Have I caught a mermaid? What'll you give me for your freedom?...You are an absolute goddess…My beautiful Bella."

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That evening, we all curled up in the living room to watch "Star Trek", as Renee was apparently in the middle of a sci-fi kick. I'd already seen it, so I occupied myself with distracting Bella as much as possible.

I made my daily phone call back to La Push before getting ready for bed, checking in with the pack on the status of things. I got Embry this time, who said that things were about the same: they were continuing with the plan to try and lure the vampires into thinking there was a gap in the pack's coverage of the area.

"Be careful," I cautioned, part of me wishing I was there with them, although most of me was glad to be here where I knew Bella would be safe.

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Bella POV

I didn't put up much of a fuss when Renee suggested going shopping after our flight got into Jacksonville mid-day on Monday. I did need a new swimsuit after all.

"Jared is something pretty special, Bella," Renee told me, glancing up from her browsing of the sale rack.

"I know he is," I admitted. "I'm really lucky."

"Do you think he could be 'the one'?"

"Mom!" I was stunned.

"What, Bella? You think I don't see how you two look at each other?"

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. As spacy as Renee could be at times, she could also display uncanny perceptiveness—much as I was accused of doing.

"But you've always told me not to think about that kind of thing until I was like 30."

My mom looked at me indulgently. "Bella, you've always been so mature—too mature sometimes. What I said came from my own experiences. But you aren't me, you never have been. You're so much like Charlie sometimes, when you get your mind made up. Just because things didn't work out for your dad and me—marrying young—doesn't mean you'd have the same issue. If you've found the right guy, don't let him slip away just because you think I think you shouldn't be ready."

"Mom, I promise I'm not rushing off to get married, but…I think he _is_ the one. Jared is so wonderful."

"You _are_ being safe, aren't you, Bella?"

I felt my face flame. Perceptive indeed. "Mom!"

"Bella, I was an eighteen-year-old girl once myself. I know what it's like. I'm not going to try and tell you what to do or not to do; I just want you to be careful."

"We are." I assured my mother. Anxious to end this rather embarrassing conversation, I returned my attention to the rack of swimsuits. I was looking for a bikini, of course, and one in Jared's favorite color: green. I found a few options, and headed to the dressing room. I tried on first one suit, and then another, looking for just the right look. When I slipped the last one on, I knew I'd hit the jackpot. The suit covered enough for decency, and exposed just enough to tantalize. The string ties alone would drive Jared absolutely crazy—and I couldn't wait.

My mom also insisted on getting me some clothes to wear here. "I know you didn't take much of your summer clothes with you to Forks; these can stay here if you want, for your next visit." So I picked out a couple sundresses, and some capris and lightweight tops.

On our way home, Renee returned to her comment at the start of our conversation.

"I really do think Jared is good for you, baby. Better than…" she trailed off, deciding it best not to say Edward's name.

"I know, mom. He is so much better for me than Edward ever was."

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The beach day was amazing. I'd somewhat forgotten how much I really missed sunny, _hot_ weather. This was wonderful! My bikini performed exactly as hoped for. I could swear I almost saw Jared's jaw hit the sand. If we hadn't been surrounded by all those people...I wasn't sure whether to be thankful or disappointed on that one.

Jared's suit was a pair of swim trunks, not all that dissimilar from the pack's usual attire of cut-off shorts or jeans. I was initially a bit let down having expected something more like a speedo, but..._His assets are mine, and not for anyone else's eyes,_ I thought, rather possessively, and instantly wasn't upset anymore.

We were in and out of the water the rest of the day. Jared took every opportunity to reapply sunscreen to my skin. "Skin cancer," he repeated my own words back at me, then added, "and sunburn, remember?" I didn't really mind; his hands were amazing.

After we got back from the beach, Renee started filling us in on some big plans she had for hiking and independent kayaking at the Timucuan National Park on Thursday. Part of me had to smile at this reminder of my erratic mother's tendencies, but the rest of me was wincing—that wasn't sounding like too much fun. Jared must have sensed my ambivalence, because he turned to my mom.

"Renee? I think we were hoping to stay low-key and not over-schedule. The kayaking does sound like fun, but do they have a guided tour? Just because my people used to fish in canoes doesn't mean I'm ready to do it solo."

"Oh, of course." She retrieved a laptop and pulled up the park's website. "What looks interesting?" she asked.

"I'm interested in the Timucua tribe. Would you be alright with spending some time at the Visitor's Center?"

"Whatever you'd like, Jared."

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On Wednesday, Jared took me out on a mystery trip. Borrowing Renee's car again, he drove us toward the north part of Jacksonville. We parked outside of "The Bookmark".

"It's supposed to be the best bookstore in Jacksonville. Very eclectic."

I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug, before shifting one to draw him down for a kiss.

"Thank you."

We ended up spending the morning in the bookstore, and the afternoon back at the beach. That evening, we headed out to the ballfield to watch one of Phil's games. I honestly spent more time focused on Jared's nuzzling of my neck than I did watching the game. Not that Phil and his team weren't good, but Edward had been right: after watching the vampire version, the human game just didn't compare.

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At the National Park the next day, Jared was like me in a bookstore, eager to explore the Visitor's Center and nearby Shell Mound. Getting to explore another tribe's culture was a thrill for him, especially with there being so many similarities between the Timucua and his own tribe: both had settled on the water and supported themselves by fishing. I was eager to be as generous as he'd been, and gave him as much time as he wanted. After pulling himself away, we got back in the car and headed for the St. John's River Ferry to cross over to Saint George Island. We ate lunch at the Ribault Club Visitor's Center, and then headed down to the boat dock for our kayak adventure. Using the bird watching materials, as well as our guide's experience, we saw brown pelicans, cormorants, egrets, and herons. Ospreys and Herring Gulls were seen diving down to the water to sweep up fish.

"I wonder if this is what life was like for your ancestors?" I pondered, as I rested my head against his shoulder during the drive home.

"Probably fairly similar," he allowed. "I appreciate where we came from, but I'm not going to argue against modern conveniences."

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Jared POV

I settled into bed, breathing in Bella's familiar scent. She'd headed for the shower after we'd gotten back from the park, insisting that she wasn't going to go to sleep smelling like bug spray. I'd given her a burning look, but had stayed where I was, however tempting the idea of a joint clean-up might be. I was positive that that would push way beyond her mom's liberal boundaries.

I'd managed to conceal my thoughts on Monday, when Renee had given us a tour of their house. I wasn't sure that many mothers would be so blasé about having their daughter and her boyfriend staying in adjoining rooms clear on the other side of the house. I wasn't going to object, certainly; sleeping beside Bella every night was a welcome—and necessary—part of my life.

Renee had caught up to me when I got up early on Tuesday morning.

"Sleep well?" she'd begun.

With supreme effort, I kept any reaction off my face and out of my voice. "Yes, thank you."

She gave me a penetrating look reminiscent of Bella; must have been where my love had learned it. "Jared, I'm her mother. I know perfectly well where you slept last night."

"Umm," I managed.

"You're both adults, and I was a teenager once myself; so saying much of anything would be a bit hypocritical of me. I just want you to promise me that you'll take care of her."

"I will," I promised. "Hurting her is something that I never, ever want to do. She's too special and important to me."

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On Friday, Bella and I had made one final trip to the beach; we'd be flying back the next day. Bella spent some time lounging in a beach chair, reading a book. It was so natural to see her with a book in hand, that I even forbore teasing her about ignoring the beach we were about to leave in favor of a book she owned and had read before. The day was absolutely perfect. The weather was incredible, the temperature just warm enough without being too hot, the wind blowing enough for comfort but no more, the waves gentle. On our final walk, I found a perfect sand-dollar. I pocketed it, envisioning it on a chain or cord around Bella's neck.

Upon arriving back at the Dwyer home, Bella's mom announced that she and Phil were going out for the evening. "You two can come along, if you'd like," she offered.

"Mom!" Bella clearly wasn't a fan of double-dating with her mother and step-father.

"Right. Sorry," Renee teased. "Okay, I suppose you both do have some packing to do. There's money on the kitchen counter if you want to order something in, or the keys are there if you'd rather go out."

"Thanks," I replied. I'd done some scouting around, and had some plans of my own for our evening.

"Bye, now," Renee kissed both Bella and I on the cheek, and then she and Phil headed out the door.

"Bella, I have a quick errand to run. I won't be long. You want to order a pizza?"

She reached up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. "Sure. Sounds good," her tone made it clear what else she meant.

"You are amazing," I told her, claiming one more heart-pounding kiss before turning for the door. "Down payment," I informed her.

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I'd learned of a place called Peterbrooke Chocolatier that I'd been eager to visit. My online research came in handy, as I knew exactly what I wanted when I walked in.

"Can I help you?" the clerk, Mandy, asked.

"Yeah. I'm planning a special evening with my girlfriend and need to get a few things." I gave a charming, but innocent, smile. Instant results.

"Of course. Do you know what she'd like?"

"She likes milk chocolate best. Do you have any recommendations?" It never hurt to get expert advice.

"Our Signature Pieces are very popular," she began. "And if she's open to a little dark chocolate, we've got some French Truffles that are divine."

"Okay, we'll do both of those. I'd also like a bag of the chocolate-covered popcorn, and some of the chocolate-covered cherries and blueberries."

"Great choices," Mandy began collecting the items we'd identified. I saw an obviously kid-oriented display of chocolate crayons. I actually began to chortle inside. This had promise. So I added a box to the pile.

"That'll be $57.29," she gave me the total. I pulled out my new credit card and handed it over.

"Your girlfriend is a very lucky lady," Mandy said, handing me back my card and the bag of chocolates.

"I'm the lucky one," I replied.

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I walked in the front door to find that Bella had changed into a flowing light purple sundress held up by a pair of thin braided straps.

"Pizza just arrived," Bella greeted me, turning for the back patio. I detoured to the kitchen to deposit the chocolate in the fridge before catching with her. I leaned over the lounge chair she was reclining on, and kissed her, my tongue sweeping passively into her mouth.

"Dinner first, then dessert," she breathed, when I let her up for air. I slid my fingers under the dress's straps in a semi-teasing, semi-serious promise before letting her go.

Bella thwarted my plan to make it a quick dinner, by slowly savoring each bite of her pepperoni pizza. She'd thoughtfully ordered half of it supreme for me, but I honestly couldn't have said what it tasted like.

_Washitli t'ikto'wa_, I thought, _I'm going crazy here!_

As soon as she finished her last bite, and wiped her mouth, I swept her up from the chaise and headed inside. I deposited Bella gently on her bed, then returned to the kitchen for the chocolate, as well as some of the strawberries that were also in the fridge.

"Dessert is served," I announced, setting my acquisitions on the TV tray I'd snagged.

If our friends had thought oranges were sensuous, they had no idea about the possibilities of chocolate. Every bite was delicious. Bella surprised me by reaching for the chocolate crayons. "Since you're already a fan of body art," she told me. _Have mercy!_

I wouldn't have thought that our graduation day promises of our future commitment would make a difference, yet somehow they did. I was finding new and deeper ways of loving this incredible woman every single day.

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Bella and her mom clung to each other at the airport.

"Bye, baby," Renee fought back tears.

"Love you, too, mom," Bella hugged her even tighter, then let go.

I shook Phil's hand, and then was pulled into Renee's hug. "Thanks for letting us visit this week," I told them both.

"Come back soon," Phil invited.

On the plane, Bella fell asleep soon after we reached cruising altitude, and ended up sleeping most of the flight home. I felt a little bad for not having let Bella get enough sleep the night before. I reluctantly woke her up when it was time to get ready for landing. As the plane started to descend, Bella began to gasp, and a light sweat broke out on her forehead. She snatched the paper bag out of the seat back and started breathing into it. I was starting to panic by the time we landed on the runway.

"Bella, love, you okay?" _Man, that was a stupid question---I hope she doesn't hit me._

A passing flight attendant noticed, too. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

Bella rested her head back against the seat's headrest, eyes closed. "Yeah," she answered faintly. "Too much chocolate last night, and not much to eat today, plus flying."

"Would you like to use a wheelchair to get outside?"

"No!" Bella's eyes flew open. "I'll be okay, really. I'll just sit here for a few minutes."

We waited until most of the other passengers had deplaned before Bella indicated she was ready. I helped her up and into the aisle, then grabbed our carry-ons and slung them over one shoulder, wrapping the other arm around her waist.

I was surprised to see that it wasn't my family, or even Bella's dad, who had come to pick us up; it was Sam and Emily.

"What's going on? What happened?" I relinquished Bella to Emily's embraced and moved to grip Sam's arm.

"There've been some developments this week," Sam stated soberly.

"Who?" I managed, fearing the worst; that the planned trap for the bloodsuckers had gone badly.

"Everyone's okay, don't worry," he reassured me. "We can talk more in the car." They started moving us toward the exit.

"Can we stop by a drugstore on the way out of town?" Bella asked.

"Sure," Emily replied. "Why?"

"I want to grab some stuff. I got a little nauseous during the landing." When Sam pulled the car into the store's parking lot, Bella shrugged off offers of company. "I'll be right back. No need for everyone to come along." I didn't smell anything, so I let her go without comment. Instead, I turned to Sam.

"What exactly happened while we were gone?" I demanded of my Alpha.

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Remember, review and you'll get a teaser for the next chapter. Let me know what you thought.


	33. What a week, what a week

AN: Thank you to all my readers for your phenomenal responses to the last couple of chapters. You certainly keep me on my toes, as reviews start coming in almost as soon as a chapter is posted, so I have to have my teaser ready to go.

So sorry that this took so long to get out. I had writer's block, start-of-semester business, lots going on at work, another laptop virus infection…hope this extra-long chapter makes up for it.

Especial thanks, gratitude, and genuflections must go to mc7575, who really rescued me from some serious paralysis in the writing of this chapter, and then found me some great information on wolves. You are awesome!

I was reminded by RangerRainbow (reviewer #50 for chapter 31!) about something I left hanging at the end of that chapter that didn't get answered in my initial posting of chapter 32, so I've gone back and added a little bit in Bella's POV at the beach to discuss Jared's choice in swimwear. RR: hope you enjoy my little homage.

This chapter takes place simultaneously with the last chapter, and covers events back in Forks while Bella and Jared are in Florida.

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From the last chapter:

_"What's going on? What happened?" I relinquished Bella to Emily's embrace and moved to grip Sam's arm._

_"There've been some developments this week," Sam stated soberly._

_"Who?" I managed, fearing the worst: that the planned trap for the bloodsuckers had gone badly._

_"Everyone's okay, don't worry," he reassured me. "We can talk more in the car." They started moving us toward the exit._

_"Can we stop by a drugstore on the way out of town?" Bella asked._

_"Sure," Emily replied. "Why?"_

_"I want to grab some stuff. I got a little nauseous during the landing." When Sam pulled the car into the store's parking lot, Bella shrugged off offers of company. "I'll be right back. No need for everyone to come along." I didn't smell anything, so I let her go without comment. Instead, I turned to Sam._

_"What exactly happened while we were gone?" I demanded of my Alpha._

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Jared POV

My question hung in the air heavily. A moment later, Emily reached for her door handle. "I'll be back," she told Sam. "There are a few things I need, too." The door shut, and Sam and I were alone. His eyes followed Emily until she vanished inside the store. He took a deep breath.

"Last week was…eventful. It's hard to know where to start."

"The beginning would be great," I retorted, just that little bit shy of outright insubordination.

"Okay, from the beginning, then." I could almost see Sam's gaze go distant, as he thought back to what had happened after our departure.

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Sam POV

Monday:

It was with a sense of relief that I saw the wall clock's display indicate that Jared and Bella's plane had taken off, a feeling I noticed that Jacob also shared. Even though both were involved in imprints with other people, she was still his friend and always would be, and I knew he wanted her safe—not like how he felt about Savannah, but not that far removed from it either. For Jake especially, friendship and the pack imperative to protect an imprintee merged nicely. Maybe if we were lucky, we could get this taken care of once and for all before their trip was over, and make everyone safe.

I had called for the rest of the pack to meet at Emily and I's place for a working lunch, to try and come up with a plan for dealing with this latest development. This idea of another strange new vampire lurking around Bella, making it into her bedroom this time, had unnerved us all, coming as it did only a few weeks after she'd been followed out of Seattle by another. Part of me wondered if there might not be some kind of connection after all, lack of evidence to the contrary.

"Okay, Paul, what's your idea?" I asked. He'd again proposed his bait-idea; it would be interesting to see what he'd come up with.

Paul swallowed the huge mouthful of food he'd just stuck in his mouth. "Well, for starters I think we ought to stay away from that last leech's trail in; that way, they might think it's a safe path. If we come at them from all sides at once, we ought to be able to pin them down."

"When we haven't been able to before?" Quil was dubious.

"What if, in trying to create a fake gap, we end up creating a real one? What if our imprints are put in danger?" Embry's voice rose in agitation; I felt the same, and knew that Quil and Jake did, too. This assortment of vampires had been proving for months that even though Bella might be their main target, they weren't above killing anyone they could get to.

"It won't happen," Paul was confident. "if you, Quil, and Jake take that side of the circle." Well, at least he had a grasp of the obvious. It definitely made sense for those whose imprints were newer to be closer to the objects of their devotion. That didn't mean I wouldn't worry about Emily, but I knew they would protect her for me. It was one of the things I'd had to deal with as the Alpha, having to sometimes put the rest of the pack first, even when I'd much rather be selfish.

"So, your big idea is to put the distracted wolves on the safe side and the new wolves right in the middle of the leeches' escape route? Brilliant!" Leah's voice was acidic, and much more like her old self than the persona she'd been displaying this past week or two. I wondered what was causing this, and then I saw her pop a couple of pills into her mouth and toss back a gulp of water. A subtle inhalation on my part, and…crap. I knew what this was about, and we were all of us in for a week of hell, not even factoring in the bloodsuckers. This was definitely not something we'd considered when she'd joined the pack, even though I at least ought to have remembered: Leah was female, and every month females…

"Paul and I will take the outside. Leah, you and Seth will fill in the middle." I tried to come up with the best solution possible.

"We'll keep you safe," Paul jibed, as he stood to go refill his plate. Leah snarled, rose, and lunged before he saw her coming. Her strike sent him tumbling out the door, rather like Jared had done that first day, when Paul had threatened Bella. Paul might be a lot bigger than she was, but Leah was pissed and in the throes of PMS, so my money was honestly on her. Too bad I hadn't made the wager—she had Paul flat on his back inside of two minutes.

"I give up, already. Sorry," Paul was clearly embarrassed at being shown up in front of everyone.

"Leah, let him up," I suggested, not wanting to tempt her wrath by making it an order. "Paul, I'd suggest you give Leah a wide berth this week.

I looked up to see the pack watching from the doorway and windows. It was easy to see who'd figured things out (Emily, Embry, Jake, and Seth) and those who hadn't (Quil and Paul).

Leah finally let him up, and Jake dragged Paul and Quil off for a quick facts-of-life reality check. Nice when I could shove some stuff off on my beta, plus he did have the advantage of having two older sisters.

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Tuesday:

We started out running heavier patrols along our usual routes, trying to label those routes as "unfriendly" and ones leading to the Swans' as being more promising. Sue was really helping us out with plans for getting Charlie Swan down to La Push regularly. Yesterday, she'd offered him home-cooked meals while Bella was gone, in exchange for help with her kids. "They're acting out more now," she'd told him. Leah's hormones were a definite asset for that right now, and Seth was doing his best, too, trying to act like a normal teenage boy who'd just lost his father.

I'd just gotten home when Emily met me at the door, a worried expression on her face. "You need to go over to Billy's," she told me. A quick explanation later, and I was on my way. Paul and Embry had been heading out for their own run, heading past the Black's house, when Paul stopped dead in his tracks. Apparently, Billy's daughter Rachel had wrapped up her last post-graduation obligations in the Tri-Cities, and had come back to visit, for practically the first time since she'd gone off to college three years ago. Billy had pushed Jake into helping unload her car, and they'd been doing that when Paul and Embry passed by. Paul had taken one look and…_Another one bites the dust_, I reflected wryly.

Jake had lost it and phased, which let the wolf out of the bag as far as Rachel was concerned—not that she wouldn't have soon learned everything, anyway. Embry had phased and managed to push him around the side of the house before anyone could pass by on the road and notice.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rachel demanded of me, as soon as I appeared.

"Hello, Rachel," I greeted my former classmate.

"Sam," her voice was clipped. "You planning on giving me an answer here, or not?"

"Long story short: all the old stories your dad used to tell you are true."

"Wolves?" her voice was incredulous.

"Wolves," I agreed.

"You mean that my little brother and his friend are wolves?"

I nodded. "So am I."

"Is that why…?" she trailed off, and I remembered that she and Leah had been friends.

"Yeah. I was the first. Jake only joined us a little over two months ago."

The spirited Black I remembered from school was back in full force. "Us? Who exactly is _us_?"

"Me, Jake, Jared Mahan. Quil Ateara, Embry Call, Seth Clearwater, Leah Clearwater, and—"

"Me," Paul finished the list. "I'm Paul Davis."

"So why did you and—who was with you?"

"Embry," he replied.

"Okay, so why did you and Embry showing up make Jake lose it like that?"

Paul went bright red. I knew that as soon as Leah found out—well, as soon as everyone else found out—Paul was really going to be in for it. He'd ragged everyone else to no end about their imprints, so he was bound to get it all back in spades.

Seeing that he hadn't yet recovered his powers of speech, I took it upon myself to step in. "Rachel, when I said all the old stories were true, I meant _all_ of them."

Rachel proved herself to be Bella's equal in puzzle-solving. "That soul-mate story? It's true?"

"It's called imprinting, and yes, it is."

"Okay…" she said slowly, "that's nice to know, but it doesn't answer my original question."

"Jake freaked out because…I imprinted…on you," Paul told her, uncharacteristically hesitant.

She stared at him, as dumbstruck as he'd been earlier. "But—what—why—how—how old are you?"

"Seventeen." She was silent then. I understood: we'd both had dreams of getting out of here, using college as the first step. It was a big part of why she hadn't been back here more than once or twice since her high school graduation. Oh, Sarah Black's death a few years back had been a strong contributing factor, true, but she'd simply wanted to escape—just like her twin, Rebecca. But while Rebecca had gone all the way to Hawaii and married a Samoan surfer, Rachel had just gone to the other side of the state. Now her life-plans had been tossed in the air just like had happened to all the rest of us.

"Rachel, I realize that this is a lot to take in. I think it'd be best if you take a little time to let it all sink in. Talking to some of the other imprintees will probably help, too." It had worked for Bella, so it'd probably work here, too.

"Who else?" She seemed to be someone who functioned well with a plan in evidence.

"I imprinted on Emily Young, Embry on Kim Wegener, Jake on Savannah Mahan, Quil on Emily's niece Claire, and Jared on Bella Swan. Seth and Leah are the newest wolves and haven't imprinted yet."

"Bella Swan? Chief Swan's daughter?" I remembered hearing that she'd visited Forks as a child, after her parents' divorce, so Rachel and Rebecca had probably played with her some.

"Yeah, same one. She moved back here a bit over a year ago. Jared imprinted on her back in March." Jake came up to his sister, having calmed down enough to phase back. "Embry headed off to grab Quil and patrol. I'll take Quil's shift tonight." I nodded.

"Sorry, sis," Jake apologized. Rachel waved it off.

"When can I talk to some of the others?" Rachel questioned me.

"Well, Claire and Savannah are too young yet to know anything, but any of the others can answer whatever questions you've got. Bella and Jared are out of town right now, but they'll be back in a few days."

Her arched brows lifted. "Out of town?"

"Post-graduation trip down to Florida with her mom and stepdad." Jake informed her, not going into the other reasons why they were gone. Smart—no need to give an information overload.

"The pack and imprints tend to gather over at Emily and I's place most of the time. Why don't you take a bit to get your stuff inside, and Jake can bring you over in an hour?"

"Sounds good," Rachel decided, for the two of them. I pulled Paul away, knowing that Rachel would need some processing time.

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Jacob POV

Wednesday:

I woke up feeling more unsettled than I had since I'd begun the initial stages of my first phase. I was even more bothered, in a way, than I'd been when Jared had imprinted on Bella. Why, why in the world had it had to be _Rachel_ that _Paul_ of all people imprinted on? _Crap,_ I thought, _I might end up with him as a __**brother**__!_

Paul had showed up just in time for breakfast this morning. My dad had welcomed him without comment, and even with pleasure. I could guess why: he'd never liked it when both my sisters had left the reservation and not looked back. I think he was hoping that being imprinted on would help to keep Rachel a little closer to home. It wouldn't necessarily bother me to have her around, but I did object to Paul. I was around him enough as it was—now he was invading my home? Was nothing sacred or safe?

I couldn't stand it anymore, and yanked on a pair of undamaged sneakers and vaulted out my bedroom window. I had to get away for a little bit. Last night, Rachel had quickly reconnected with Leah, who'd been a friend of hers since childhood. She was more cautious about Emily, but still polite, and seemed to like Kim as well. She'd known Bella years ago too, from those visits Bella'd had to make up here during the summers, so I was sure they'd get along fine once she got back.

I only realized that my intent to take a run had been abandoned when I found myself outside the Mahan's house. My mood brightened when I saw that Savannah was outside, swaying slowly from side to side as she sat on the tree swing.

"Hey," I called when I got closer.

"Oh, hi, Jacob," she ducked her head, and I wondered if she was hiding a blush like Bella had often done. "Are you enjoying your summer?" she asked me.

"I guess," I flopped down onto the grass beside the swing. "It's different having my sister back home again." I found myself wanting to confide in her, but also knowing that I couldn't share most of it yet—she was still just 13 and not ready.

"What's wrong?" Savannah stilled the swing and looked down at me.

"Paul. He saw Rachel when she got in yesterday, and now it's like he thinks he's in love or something. He showed up this morning and just stared at her. I mean, it's not like I'm not around him a lot of the time anyway—now he's at my house, too?" I knew I was trivializing everything, but it was the best way of putting it that I had; I could only hope it wouldn't come back to bite me in a few years.

She laid her hand on my shoulder, and I had to force myself not to react. "I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault."

"You're upset by it, though." Even if she didn't know what was going on, my imprint somehow knew just how to help me right now.

"Thanks. It's not really like I can do anything if he does like her and if she likes him—it's just weird." I reached up and lightly laid my hand on hers for a moment.

"Savannah!" We both looked up to see her cousin Collin appear, a very unhappy expression on his face. My eyes narrowed as I noticed the changes in him just in the past couple of days. I had the sudden, uneasy feeling that I knew where this might lead, and wasn't about to let it happen around her, when and if it did.

The wolf inside of me wanted to protest; after all, I was certainly higher ranking than he was, but my human mind knew that getting into a dominance contest with him was absolutely the last thing that needed to happen, not with a teenager on the verge of his first phase. I stood up, told her "thank you," and headed off before I set him off any more. Hopefully, he'd be able to calm down once I was gone. I had somewhere else to be, anyway; Sam needed to know what was going on.

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Sam POV

Wednesday:

As if I didn't have enough to deal with already: vampires, pack, hormonal Leah, Paul's new imprint…now Jake had just dropped on me his suspicion that Jared's cousin Collin Hatch might be a wolf in the making. Great, just great.

Emily came up behind me and started kneading my shoulders, for all the world as if I was a ball of bread dough. "Oh," I groaned, feeling her working out the tension.

"Sam, it'll be okay," she soothed.

"I hope you're right." I stood and quickly crossed the floor to shut the front door. The pack would know to stay away until it was opened again: I needed time with my imprint.

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Thursday:

I was awakened later than usual by an insistent howling. I didn't bother dressing, just grabbed a pair of shorts to tie around my ankle, and was outside quickly.

_What's going on?_ I demanded.

_I'm out east_, Paul reported. _Think this might be it. Some really strong scent trails here. Couple different leeches so far, by the smell._

_Three,_ Leah countered. I was surprised—I'd thought Seth would be on with Paul.

_On the way,_ I informed them, ignoring the issue, then threw back my head and howled, long and emphatically. An imperative summons, one not to be ignored. The other members of the pack would know to come at once. The minds of the rest soon joined Paul, Leah, and I.

Seth was the last. _Might have a problem, boss. Headed past Jared's place on my way out, and boy, did Collin look mad! Didn't like it that I wouldn't stop to talk for long. Keep an eye on him, Jake. I don't know if it's just him picking up the slack with Jared gone, or what, but…_

_Mind in the game right now, Seth. Collin will just have to wait. Head out like we talked about and keep your noses, eyes, and ears on alert._ I'd made the decision last night to have Embry and Paul switch roles. Embry wasn't too happy, but I knew that Paul wouldn't be able to handle not being as close to Rachel as possible. Sometimes, being Alpha meant making the hard calls.

At my silent signal, we started moving, following along two roughly parallel ridgelines. The wind was blowing toward us, carrying the forest scents—and more. I paused for a moment, absorbing the impressions coming my way. I cursed mentally when a new gust of wind told me that the leech we were tracking had shifted course. He was apparently trying to take a roundabout route to Bella's home, one that was also taking him in the direction of ours. No, not _him_, _them._ There were two scents for sure.

_Paul, Quil, Jake, head back now! Get between them and the rez. We'll try to head them off if we can, or drive them right to you if we can't._ They all spun around, and with a burst of speed they were off. I formed up the others in a rough arc and we began moving.

Our mental links told us all that we were drawing closer together, when we were suddenly slammed by sheer terror.

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Collin POV

Thursday morning, when I woke up, I felt pretty crappy. This whole week had sucked, in fact. My parents had dragged me to all the stuff last weekend, just because my cousin Jared was graduating. Then, everyone kept going on about how perfect Jared's girlfriend was, and how 'wouldn't it be nice if she becomes your cousin, too?' And to top it off, my parents just _had _to leave me here with my 'aunt' and 'uncle' so that they could take a little trip of their own.

Being alone seemed to bug me, but so did being around others. I'd noticed that big guy, Jake?, hanging around some, even though Jared was gone. I mean, I know he's one of Jared's friends, but the crowd they hang out with…a lot of people call them a gang or a cult. And the way I've caught him staring at my cousin Savannah sometimes…

I went outside hoping to find something to do to burn off this crazy feeling, but _he_ was there again, _touching _Savannah's hand! It was almost like my blood started to boil. He gave me this strange look for a second, then left.

"What's going on with you?" Savannah glared at me.

"What was he doing here?"

"Just talking—not that it's any of your business!" she stormed off.

I tried going back inside to watch some TV, then tried a videogame, but nothing helped. I grabbed a hotdog and went back outside. My mood brightened for a moment when I saw my friend Seth walking by.

"Hey, Seth!" I called.

He looked over, but it was almost like he didn't see me.

"Hey, Collin," he answered, not really paying much attention, I thought.

"Why is Jacob Black hanging around my cousin so much?" I figured he might know.

"Jake's fine. He's just keeping an eye on things for Jared. It's all cool." It was clear that Seth wasn't interested in listening, couldn't wait to get away.

"Fine. Whatever." I stomped off in the other direction. A ways down the road, I spotted my best friend, Brady.

"Man, Coll, you look terrible," was the first thing out of his mouth.

"You don't look so hot yourself, smartass," I shot back. I knew I was pushing his buttons, but couldn't seem to help it.

"Whatever," he started to turn away. What was with me today?

"Brady, man, sorry. Guess I'm just in a bad mood today."

"Sure. Happens sometimes."

I looked around, trying to think of something else to say. I froze and stared into the woods.

"What in the world?" I muttered.

"Huh?"

"Look." I pointed to where Seth could be seen slipping among the trees, heading into the forest. Didn't he know we weren't supposed to go there? The elders, and our parents, had made that clear for a long time now. Some rebellious impulse had me moving that way, too. If he could do it, then so could I.

"Coll, we're not supposed to—" I cut Brady off.

"I don't care." I expected him to stay where he was, but he was right behind me

"Not letting you go alone. Probably just get yourself hurt or something."

As we were swallowed up by the trees, I slowly felt a sense of…something, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. All of the anger, the rage, I'd felt earlier came flooding back.

"Do you smell that?" Brady whispered, voice tight.

"Like burnt sugar." I winced as the smell started to make my nose burn.

"Well, now, what have we here?" an icy voice hissed. We whirled to see a man emerging from behind a tree. Except, he looked weird—freaky weird. His skin was dead white, and his eyes—his eyes were bright, bright red.

I suddenly felt like I'd been tossed into the middle of a bonfire, and was burning from the inside out. My skin seemed too tight, and burst with a loud, excruciatingly painful rip. My scream became a howl from one moment to the next, Brady echoing me.

_Ow! Ow! Mom! Dad! What's happening?_ Brady screamed.

_I don't know, but shut up and run!_ I put action to words and started running, somehow knowing how to manage it on twice the usual number of legs, and also knowing that I had to do this—like it was life or death. I could feel his cold breath on my back and tried to run faster. A choked-off howl made me risk a glance back. There was another back there too, and he'd just grabbed Brady. The one behind me got a frozen hand wrapped around my leg and I was jerked to a stop, screaming inside as I felt something snap.

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Sam POV

_Move, now!_ I ordered. Jacob and Paul were closest, made it in just a few seconds, and knocked the bloodsuckers off the newest wolves with precision flying leaps. Paul's managed to stagger to his feet and run away, but Jake was standing on top of his, claws screeching as they dug into the granite corpse. Maybe we'd get some answers before we ripped this one to shreds and burned him.

_Seth, run back and tell your mom what's happened. I think they'll both need her to take a look. Probably got some broken bones here, if not more._

He took off, and the rest of us gathered around the two writhing forms on the ground, minus Paul and Embry, who'd taken off after the escapee.

_Try not to move_, I told them. _It'll only hurt more if you move._

_Who? What?_ One was coherent enough to get out one-word questions.

_I'm Sam Uley. We're wolves, and those were vampires. Are you Collin?_ I wasn't sure who he'd be, if he wasn't, but there were two new ones here, so someone else had obviously phased along with him.

_Of course, I'm me!_ His voice sounded a little stronger this time. _Wait, what's going on? I'm not talking. Am I?_

_Only in your head, _Seth snorted, crouching down beside him. _It's a wolf thing. When we're phased like this, we can hear each other's thoughts. That's how we knew you and Brady were in trouble._

_Why'd you ignore me, before?_ He was sounding better, and the conversation was taking his mind off things, so I stood back and let Seth help him out.

_Sam was waiting on me. Can't keep the Alpha waiting, you know._

Everyone was glad for the change to let off a little tension by chuckling.

_Sorry about earlier,_ Jacob apologized, from his position on top of what was now a pile of bloodsucker pieces. _But you don't have to worry about her—I'm not going to let anything happen to Savannah._

_Why?_

_Jacob imprinted on Savannah a few weeks ago. _Seth explained._ She's his…soul-mate._

_Eeww!_ Both Collin and Brady reacted like the thirteen-year-olds they were.

With his whole month of experience, Seth replied loftily, _You'll get used to it. Only the three of us, and Leah, haven't imprinted yet. So unless you're ready for it, try not to look at any girls for a while._

_You two feel up to moving yet, or do we need to wait a bit longer? _I pushed back into the conversation.

Bracing on Seth's shoulder, Collin experimentally tried to stand. He wobbled a bit, but stayed on his feet. Quil and Leah tried to help Brady the same way, but he sank back to the ground with a pained whimper.

_This'll hurt a lot, but we need to get the two of you to phase back. Sue Clearwater will take a look at you once we get you back to La Push. _The others chimed in with suggestions.

_Think human! _Collin snorted softly.

Amid moans and cries, we got them both to phase back. Before telling the others to do the same and head for Sue's to get the boys checked out, I asked Paul and Embry for an update.

_What's going on?_

_He's long gone_, Paul reported. _Headed back east. We'll follow for a bit longer to make sure it's not a diversion._

_Good._

Jacob and I took turns phasing back and guarding the pieces. As Jacob kindled a fire, I picked up the head, staring into the blood-red eyes. "What do you want? Why do you keep coming here?"

"We won't stop. We'll keep coming. We won't fail her." The head whispered.

"Her? Victoria?" Jacob hissed.

"You won't be able to stop her. She'll keep coming. She _will _have her revenge."

Sensing that we wouldn't get any more out of him, we started tossing pieces onto the fire, which began emitting a foul purple smoke. Jake and I stood there and watched until the vampire was a pile of ashes. After kicking dirt over the ashes to prevent a forest fire—not likely, with as wet as everything was, but still necessary—we headed for Sue's to see how our newest members were doing.

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I was glad to learn that things weren't anywhere near as bad as they could have been. Brady'd gotten a few cracked ribs, Sue thought, and Collin a badly twisted ankle that might or might not be broken, too. They were reclined on the couch and chair, respectively, and wearing some of Seth's spare clothes.

"Mom's going to kill me," Collin groaned.

_Here we go_, I sighed. "You can't tell her; you can't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Because he says so," Leah shot back. I sent her a quelling look, with just a touch of the Alpha power. Her eyes dropped, reluctantly, but they did drop.

"The existence of the pack has to be kept a secret. That's how it's always been. Most people don't understand, but even if they did, we can't do what we need to with that kind of attention. It's best, and safest, if everyone believes that it's all just legend and myth."

"But what _are _we supposed to say? I mean, won't somebody notice?" Brady seemed to be coming around a bit.

"We'll all do what we can to help cover for you," Jacob put in. "You're already friends with Seth, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue if you just hang out with him more. That'd be best, actually. You're going to want to avoid being around others for a while."

"Because?" His voice was sharper now. A long glance from under my lowered eyebrows, and he was quelled. I didn't mind his spirit, but he'd have to learn his place in the pack's hierarchy. I had to be confident he'd follow the simple orders now, so I wouldn't have to worry about him following important ones when it counted.

"Until you get your tempers under control, you'll phase pretty easily. Being just around others in the pack means you won't be spilling the secret, or putting others in danger…"

"Or flashing those you'd rather not," Quil snorted.

Blank looks.

"You'll go through a lot of clothes, with spontaneous phases," I explained. "We're used to it—anyone else wouldn't be."

"Not by choice," Leah muttered. That'd been one of the hardest adjustments to having her in the pack—besides having her in my head. We'd all, as I said, gotten used to seeing one another without clothes whether we liked it or not. It was a whole different matter when a girl was involved. I wondered if part of Leah's initial vindictiveness hadn't been sparked by embarrassment at being seen by the other guys.

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Jared POV

Saturday:

"So let me get this straight: you figured out Leah has girl issues, Paul imprinted on Jake's sister, Jake took another step with _my_ sister, you caught a leech who confirmed Victoria isn't planning on giving up, and my cousin Collin and his friend Brady both phased. Did I get everything?"

"Yeah," Sam sighed heavily.

"I think I had the better week." His hand shot out and cuffed me on the head.

"I don't want to know," he muttered.

"No, you don't" I agreed.

Now that I was back up to speed, I turned back to other things.

"So why didn't either of our families come to pick us up? Was this just so that you could give me the update?"

"No. Charlie Swan had to cover for one of his deputies, and your mom was fussing over Collin."

"What's the cover story?"

"Crashed the motorbikes they 'borrowed' from Jake."

"Clever," I admitted, my gaze drifting back toward the store. "Think we should see if they're done?" As soon as I said it, though, Bella and Emily exited, each carrying a bag, and were on their way back to the car. I slid out to help Bella back into the car.

"Did you find something to help?" I asked.

"Yeah," Bella burrowed back against my side, and as the car began to move again, she soon drifted off to sleep for the duration of the drive back to Forks.

At her house, Sam grabbed her bag, while I lifted her carefully out of the car and carried her up to the house.

"Jared? What's wrong?" Charlie came out onto the porch, worry evident on his face and in his voice.

"She's okay. Just really tired. Got a little nauseous on the plane, but we stopped and got her something for it. Mind if I just take her upstairs and get her into bed?" Fortunately for me, Charlie was focused on Bella, and missed Sam's reaction to my words.

Bella roused when I laid her down. "You're in your room, love. Just get some sleep so you'll feel better, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Love you," she mumbled, eyes already closing again.

"I love you, too." I leaned down and kissed her forehead before heading back downstairs.

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At home, I commiserated with Collin about his "accident" and ragged him for getting busted for the bikes—"You're going to have to make it up to my girlfriend, you know. One of those bikes is hers."

"How was your trip, sweetie?" I could tell that mom was eager for a minute-by-minute accounting.

"Mom, I'm looking forward to telling you all about it, but I was wondering if I could maybe consolidate the storytelling. What would you think about having Bella and her dad down for lunch tomorrow, and we can tell everyone at the same time?"

"Sure. That sounds like a great idea." Whew.

"I'll just go and get unpacked, if that's okay." I wanted to get back to Bella, and see if the medicine and sleep had made any improvement to how she was feeling.

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As I slipped into Bella's room later that evening, I saw that she was awake, leaning back against a pile of pillows at the head of her bed.

"Feeling better?" I asked, sliding down beside her. She sat up, and turned to face me. "Bella, have I done anything wrong?"

"No," she told me, though I didn't believe her—she was looking too upset for something not to be wrong.

"What is it, love?" I felt a knot form in my stomach.

"I'm—" Bella began breathing rapidly. I grasped her hands between mine.

"Bella, what _is_ it?"

"I'm…pregnant."

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Congratulations to all those who guessed that this was coming. I will admit that it's been in the plan for quite a while. I thought about cutting Bella off in mid-sentence, but just couldn't be that mean to all my wonderful reviewers.

Srose: glad you liked it. Hope this update came soon enough, and my deepest apologies if it didn't.

j.d.: I try to update as often as I can, usually a couple times a week. This one took a little longer because of some serious writer's block. I know a lot of readers would probably enjoy daily updates, but I do work full-time, am in grad school, and still want to have time to read, eat, sleep, etc.

sara: I'm so happy to have reassured you that good fanfics do exist—I wouldn't have started writing/posting this one if I didn't want it to be as good as it could possibly be. Implausible plots and poor grammar/spelling/etc are big pet peeves of mine, so any errors in my story are because I couldn't wait to get it up. Blueboarderchick is also writing a Jared/Bella story (which was my initial inspiration, although I'm not reading it currently to avoid any conflicts). I do have a possible idea for another story with this pairing, which I might try once this story is done. I will try to update as often as work/school/life/muse allow. Usually it's a couple times a week, but this week was rough. Embry's dad **ought** to be identified in the chapter after this one (I think).

To everyone who does a signed review, a teaser of the next chapter will be awarded.


	34. Revelations II

JacobEdwardLover94: Thank you so much! I'm so pleased you like it. Thanks for your suggestion. I hope this update came soon enough, and that you like what I've done.

Thanks once again to all my wonderful reviewers, both repeaters and new. Sorry this took a while. I wanted it to be really good, for one thing, and I'm really busy with work/school right now. Until the end of July, things are going to be pretty crazy. I'm going to do my best to get a minimum of one new chapter up each week. I hope this is worth the wait and that you enjoy what you find. Reviews will be very inspirational and motivational.

Bella POV

As we walked along the concourse toward the airport exit, Jared still supporting most of my weight, I began a mental inventory of the bathroom medicine cabinet at home. I was still feeling a bit queasy—a sensation I hated—and I couldn't remember if we had anything on hand for an upset stomach. Probably not—both Charlie and I were healthy by nature, so anything that might be there was most likely years past its expiration date.

I stumbled and was caught by Jared when I remembered something that the bathroom _did_ contain and which I hadn't used in a while. Could it be? Was I? My mind started calculating, counting, and double-checking.

In the car, I asked about stopping at a drugstore. If what I was starting to suspect might actually be right, there was no way on earth that I was going to the stores in Forks or La Push for this one. My excuse about the nausea was good enough not to be wondered at, and Sam was soon pulling into a parking lot. Miraculously, I was even able to go in alone—I guessed Jared was going to take the opportunity to grill Sam about whatever had happened during our absence that they hadn't told him about.

I was still getting my bearings in the store when I heard someone behind me. I turned carefully, still mindful of my current equilibrium issues, and saw that Emily had just walked in.

"They needed time alone to talk," she explained. I nodded.

Emily glanced up at the signs dangling from the ceiling. "Looks like antacids and anti-nausea stuff are on aisle two."

"I need aisle four."

"Family planning? Good idea."

The burst of laughter that popped out was flavored more by hysteria than humor. "A bit late for that."

"Late?"

"I'm late, Emily." I wasn't ready yet to use the other word, and she wasn't the one who needed to hear it first in any case.

"Oh, late," Comprehension lit her eyes.

"I thought it was just nerves about graduating, stress about my 'visitor'-" I remembered we were out in public and substituted words-"and then the heat and humidity in Florida. But I'm _never_ late, and I almost threw up when the plane landed today, and that's never happened to me before, and-" Emily cut off my babbling by pulling me into a hug.

"Shh, everything will be okay," Emily kept her arm around me and headed us both to aisle four. I couldn't seem to make my hand reach out to the array of boxes facing me. Emily came to my rescue, selecting both a conventional test and a digital one.

"Now, let's try to find something to help you feel better." She led me around, picking up boxes of peppermint and chamomile tea, some cans of ginger ale and lemon-lime soda, and a box of saltine crackers. "Some tribal women swear by slippery elm and raspberry tea; I'll try to have some for you the next time you're down." Emily quickly selected a few things for herself and we checked out. When we approached the car, Jared got out and helped me slide into the back seat, circling the rear of the car to get back in on the other side.

"Did you find something to help?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I wasn't going to elaborate, not until I was absolutely sure, and definitely not with an audience. I shifted as close to Jared as the seatbelt would allow, closed my eyes, and let the momentum of the car and Jared's scent lull me back to sleep.

I woke and stretched, abruptly realizing that I was no longer sitting in a car, but instead was…on my bed.

"Unh," I groaned. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I looked at my alarm clock, seeing that it was almost dinnertime. I slowly sat up, thankful that my nausea seemed to have disappeared. Deciding that a shower would help me feel more normal, I moved to where my suitcase had been deposited. The bag from the drugstore was next to it. I buried the tests in the bottom of my suitcase, grabbed my toiletries bag, and left my room for the bathroom. The sound of running water brought Charlie upstairs.

"Feeling better, Bells?" he asked, giving me a hug. "Welcome home."

"Thanks. And I think I'm feeling a bit better. I was pretty tired, and hadn't eaten much today."

"Yeah. You've been asleep for a few hours—didn't even twitch when Jared carried you inside. Speaking of, he called a little while ago and invited the two of us to his parents' house tomorrow for lunch. That way you can tell all of us about your trip at the same time."

"Sounds good."

"You want something to eat?"

"I think I'll have some soup after my shower."

When I got downstairs, Charlie was just taking an approved container out of the microwave. "Followed the directions exactly," he commented, with faint pride, setting the soup on the table in front of me.

I smiled approvingly and began to eat slowly. Soup, crackers, and Sprite—dinner of champions. My dishes went into the sink when I was done.

"I'll do those," Charlie insisted, gently nudging me away from the sink. "You go relax, or unpack, or whatever."

I took his advice, emptying my suitcase and tossing my dirty clothes into the hamper. Finally, the only thing left to deal with were the pregnancy tests. Tiptoeing to the door, I listened carefully and heard the sound of a baseball game on the TV. Charlie thus occupied, I quietly returned to my bedroom, then entered the bathroom. I knew that Jared would be coming back as soon as he could, and I had to take care of this first.

Sitting on the counter, the test boxes seemed to be staring back at me. I picked one up and turned it over to read the directions: "Hold the tip under the urine stream for five seconds, then let sit on a flat surface. The result will be visible in the display screen in three minutes." A check of the other box revealed almost identical instructions. _Okay, here goes._

I distracted myself during those interminable three minutes by fussing with the contents of the bathroom cabinet. My thoughts of earlier in the day had me checking the medicine boxes, where, as I'd expected, most were out of date. Everything went into the trash. I realized then that the three minutes were up. I stared, my feet seemingly rooted to the linoleum floor. I couldn't seem to make myself approach the counter where the tests were waiting, not sure if I was ready to find out the answers. _Get a grip, Bella. Not looking isn't going to change anything._

I picked up a test stick at random. A "+" sign was in the little window. The next test said "pregnant", the third had another "+", and the fourth also said "pregnant." I sank down onto the floor and leaned my head back against the wall. Now I knew.

When I could make myself move, I grabbed the tests and boxes, and returned to the sanctuary of my bedroom. I dropped all but one test into my nightstand drawer and buried the crushed boxes in the bottom of my trashcan. I lay back against my pillows, cradling the last test strip in my hands. _How am I going to tell Jared?_ I wondered. I couldn't begin to guess how he might feel about this. We'd only just officially committed last week to planning for an eventual future together, and now here I was, about to throw this at him. Both of us only eighteen, and only a week out of high school—a baby hadn't been in the plans for quite a while yet.

I was brought out of my musings when Jared swung from the tree into my bedroom through the open window.

"Feeling better?" he queried, approaching the bed and laying down beside me. I pushed myself more upright, turning to face him. I have no idea what my face looked like, but it must have been odd, because his attention focused more intently. "Bella, have I done anything wrong?"

"No," I told him; _h_ehadn't done anything—_I_ had.

"What is it, love?"

"I'm—" I tried to get it out, but failed, beginning to breathe rapidly in impending panic.

"Bella, what _is_ it?" his hands surrounded mine.

"I'm…pregnant," I blurted.

Jared POV

For the second time in my life, it was as if time stopped.

"Pregnant?" I looked at her carefully, wanting to make absolutely certain that I'd heard her correctly.

Bella nodded nervously.

I brought one hand up to cradle her cheek, then to lift the chin that had started to drop. "We're having a baby?"

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?"

"For throwing this at you now—we only graduated a week ago, and Victoria, and..." I trailed off.

"Bella, if people only had babies when it was convenient, there wouldn't be nearly seven billion people alive right now." My sardonic comment managed to elicit the ghost of a smile from her. She opened her mouth to speak. "I know what you meant, though. The timing's not what we might have hoped for." The timing on this wasn't ideal by any means; I certainly hadn't expected to be starting my own family before I turned nineteen, much less with all this other stuff going on.

I continued after a moment. "If anyone should be apologizing, it ought to be me," I confessed. "I didn't live up to my promise to look out for you. I should have been more responsible about protection."

"You were," Bella assured me. "I know that. Our first time and then here—you did take precautions. _I'm_ the one who jumped _you_ after my bath that first morning and then in your car. I didn't give you the chance to think about responsibility, and I wasn't thinking about it, either."

"I still should have—that's what my parents would say, at least."

"Parents!" Bella paled. "Charlie! He's going to kill you!"

"I know he won't be happy," I acknowledged, "and I'll accept and deal with that. But…how do you feel, Bella? Do _you_ hate me for this, for getting you pregnant?" I could feel my heart sinking at the thought that she really _might_ hate me. "Bella, do you want this?"

"How could I _not_ want this?" Bella reached up to lay her hands on either side of my face. "I love the idea of having your baby. It's just the timing, and knowing how upset our parents are going to be, and—"

"So we're happy about this?" I wanted to make absolutely sure.

"Are we?" she parroted.

"I asked first," I teased, aware that we were heading for silliness.

"Yes, I'm happy; scared, but happy. You?" Bella's eyes held only a faint trace of nerves.

"Scared, definitely." She tapped her fist against my arm. "I'm serious. It's not just about me, or you, anymore. There's someone else now; someone we're going to be responsible to for the rest of our lives. It's a responsibility like no other. But I _am_ happy, Bella. If I didn't know it would wake your dad up, I'd be shouting right now," I answered. Bella melted into my arms.

"I love you," she told me.

"I love you, too. Both of you."

I lay awake beside Bella for a long time, my hand resting carefully across her flat stomach, awestruck that my unborn child was growing in there right this moment. It was a feeling like nothing I'd ever experienced before. _My lover, my mate, is carrying my baby. What do I do?_

Before falling asleep, I remembered something my mom had shown me a little over a week ago, just after I'd talked to her and dad about my feelings for Bella and my hopes for our future.

Bella woke when I slid out of bed in the morning. Remaining curled up where she was, she asked, "Not to rock the boat, but…about our parents? When do we plan to tell them?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm not sure. Part of me wants to put it off, but I'm not sure if that'd be best. I think Charlie, at least, will need lots of time to take this in. And I don't think trying to hide this will earn us any points with them." _Good points_, I thought.

"Keep them in the loop from the beginning, you mean?" It was a good idea. Not that it would let us completely off the hook, but if they knew we'd told them as soon as we'd found out…

"Lunch today _is_ convenient," Bella talked it out, "but we don't have to say anything just yet, if we'd rather wait a bit."

"If you're okay with it, then I'd say tell them now. Waiting isn't going to make it any easier."

"Okay, today then," Bella agreed.

Bella POV

Charlie and I arrived at the Mahan's house right at noon. It felt a little different walking up this time, and I wondered if the baby had been conceived here.

Jared came out to greet us, pulling me close for a kiss. "Missed you," he murmured, kissing me again. Charlie was close enough to hear.

"You saw her just yesterday, Jared, and every day for the past week," Charlie teased.

Jared pulled back and grinned. "Can't help it."

Savannah pulled me inside the house, rapid-firing questions at me. "How was the beach? Was it hot? Did you have fun? Did Jared like your swimsuit? Did you like his? What did you do?"

"Savannah, let Bella come all the way in, and don't pester her like that," Laura Mahan came out of the kitchen, kindly scolding her daughter. "Welcome back, Bella. I hope you had a good time." She gave me a hug.

"We did. Thanks so much for letting Jared come. It was fun getting to see Florida with him."

Sitting around the table, eating personalized sub sandwiches, chips, potato salad, and more, I started trying to answer all of Savannah's questions.

Charlie coughed, attempting—unsuccessfully—to hide his amusement at Renee's hiking and kayaking plan, and gave Jared a definite look of approval when he relayed his diversion tactic.

Laura sent us all into the living room, while she cleaned up and put a dessert in the oven to cook. When she joined us, Jared and I started passing around the photos we'd taken during our trip and had both printed off this morning. When the oven timer buzzed, Jared's mom went back into the kitchen. The scent of the coffeecake wafting through the open door hit me like a sledgehammer, turning the lunch I'd just eaten into a ball of lead in my stomach. A second wave had me bolting for the hall bathroom, where I threw up everything into the toilet, heaving until I was dry.

I spat one last time, and managed to hit the lever to flush the bowl's contents, then rather melted down till I was sitting on the floor. I rested my forehead against the outside of the bowl, letting the coolness of the porcelain soothe my flushed skin. A damp washcloth came to rest on the back of my neck, and I sighed in relief. When a cup of water appeared in front of my face, I somehow garnered enough strength to move my head and look up to see who my helper was. Jared crouched on the floor beside me, the cup in his hand.

"The coffeecake, huh?" he guessed. I gave him a dark look and he didn't say anything else for a moment. "I think they've maybe guessed," he continued, "my mom anyway, at least. I didn't stop to make sure though-I wanted to make sure you were okay". He reached up to re-wet the washcloth for my neck, did another for my face, and then pulled me into his arms as he moved from his crouch to sit down on the bathroom floor. I closed my eyes and rested my washcloth-insulated face against his chest, concentrating on breathing and on the beat of his heart under my ear.

"I'm sorry, Bella. It kills me that you have to go through this. I wish there was something I could do."

"I'm sure I'll think of something before this is over," I mumbled the promise.

"Anything," he promised in return.

After a while, he asked me if I was ready to get up and "Go face the music." I wasn't, not really, but I didn't see that we had much of a choice, especially not after my vomiting episode. Jared helped me to my feet, and with a quick look in the vanity mirror, after which I fussed at the wet blotch on Jared's shirt from the washcloth, we headed back down the hallway toward the living room. All three of our parents were sitting there, waiting for us. Drew and Savannah were nowhere to be seen.

Jared's mom gestured us to the empty loveseat. "Are you alright, Bella?"

"I'm okay right now," I tried to downplay it.

"What's going on, Bella? Are you sick, or what?" Charlie was glaring at me suspiciously. I was not ready for this at all.

"'Or what', dad," I confessed.

"Jared?" This from his dad, James.

Jared interlaced our fingers, took a deep breath, and said, "Bella's pregnant. We're having a baby." The Mahan's just nodded once, confirmation of Jared's supposition that they'd guessed what was going on with me. Charlie…

"What the hell did you do to my little girl?" he roared, lurching forward out of his seat. Jared's body stiffened in response, his dominant-wolf nature starting to rise up in response. He stayed seated next to me, but slid forward slightly putting himself between Charlie and me.

"Nothing happened between us that I didn't want," I choked out. "He didn't hurt me, dad."

"You're pregnant! You're telling me you wanted _that_?" His anger only seemed to be increasing.

"I wasn't expecting this so soon," my voice had thickened from my swirling emotions, just as tears had begun to streak down my cheeks, "but I did want this someday."

"How could you let this happen?" Charlie demanded of us both. "Weren't you raised better than this?"

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Jared POV

I was on my feet at that. No one, not even her own father, was going to talk to Bella that way. Simultaneously, my dad tried to intercede.

"Let's all take a breath and try to calm down. I'm sure there's more to this than we know right now." The disappointment in his voice was palpable.

"Why should I calm down? My daughter, my eighteen-year-old daughter, is _pregnant_! By _your_ son!"

I could feel my temper starting to fray, and knew we had to get out of here. I turned and held out a hand to Bella, who took it. I helped her up, pulling her close to my side.

"Enough," I snarled. "We are not going to stay here and listen to this. Bella and I are leaving now. I'll call in a little while, and if you're ready, we'll come back and discuss this. But we are not going to sit here and be insulted like this. Let's go, love," I said to Bella, as I guided her to the door.

Once we were outside, "Bella, I'm so sorry about that. I guess telling them today wasn't such a good idea after all." I tried to focus on Bella, and not on the anger I felt right then. How could her father say that?"

"It's not your fault, Jared," Bella tried to soothe me. How like her. But right now it needed to be about her. And I had just the thing. We walked through the woods, but not directly to Sam and Emily's; I had a stop in mind first. I wasn't sure that Bella would remember, but it was a place I'd never forget: the site of our first deep conversation, the day I'd told her about the imprint, and she'd decided to give me a chance.

"Bella, three months ago I saw you for the first time. It was like going from absolute darkness into the brightest sunlight. Becoming part of your life has been the best thing that ever happened to me. Will you make me the happiest person in the world and accept this?" She turned to see that I was down on one knee and holding something up to her: the emerald and diamond ring that had belonged to my mom's grandmother.

"Will you marry me?"

Bella's eyes filled with tears. I looked up at her, my own eyes filled with the intense, all-consuming love I felt for her, had always felt for her.

"Yes," she whispered. She stayed on her feet long enough for me to slide the ring onto her finger, before she sank to her knees in front of me.

"Where did you get this?" she asked me, lifting her hand to look at the ring.

(flashback)

I followed my mom into her bedroom the night before leaving for Florida.

"Jared, someday, when the time comes, I want you to know that my grandmother's ring will come to you, to give to your fiancée."

"But Savannah…"

"…will get my mother's ring. This one is yours." She pulled out a jewelry box from her nightstand drawer, and opened it to show me the ring. It was exactly what I could picture myself selecting, and I couldn't wait to see it gracing Bella's hand.

My mom laid the box in my hand. "I know I can trust you to look after this until you're ready to give it to her. Might kill the mood to have to ask me for it then," she teased.

"Thanks mom."

(end flashback)

I used my thumbs to wipe away the years on Bella's cheeks. "I love it," she said softly. "This is so personal and so perfect."

Thrilled, I leaned down to kiss my fiancée for the first time.

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"Ahem," a voice behind me made both of us jump.

Leah stood at the entrance to the clearing.

"Hey, Leah," I got to my feet and helped Bella to also stand.

"Thought you were having lunch at your place," Leah commented to me.

"Yeah, we did. Thought we'd come over here for a little while." I wasn't sure when we were planning to say anything to the pack, or even if we were going to actually say anything. Given how our parents had reacted, I wasn't at all keen to subject Bella to any more unpleasantness.

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Bella POV

The pack and imprints greeted us warmly when we followed Leah inside. I was relieved when the assortment of cooking scents didn't upset my stomach; of course, it probably helped that there wasn't anything left inside my stomach anyway.

"Would you like anything, Bella?" Emily inquired.

"Some Sprite or 7-Up?"

"Sure." Emily brought over a can and cup. I popped the tab and started to pour the contents into the cup. My hand jerked, and pop spilled over the table, when Kim squealed.

"Bella!"

"What?" I knew my eyes were wide.

"What's that?" She pointed to my hand, still extended over the cup. I hadn't thought anything of it, but it was my left hand holding the can, and so my new ring was visible.

"You're engaged!" Kim was jubilant.

I looked helplessly at Jared. We hadn't discussed what we'd be telling the pack, or when, but it seemed that they'd be finding out about some of it today. His fingers stroked down my cheek, and he kissed me again, disregarding our audience.

"Yes, we are," he confirmed to our friends when he'd pulled back.

Everyone swarmed around us, hugging me, and slapping Jared on the back. He kept close to me, though, making sure that I wasn't overwhelmed or bowled over.

"Give them some air," Sam's voice cut through the tumult. I looked up at Jared, asking a question with my eyes that he answered with his.

"We're engaged," I echoed, "and I have no idea what's next."

"Well, speaking from experience, start with picking a date and location, and go from there," Emily offered.

I couldn't help it and blushed bright red, which, of course, everyone noticed.

"We haven't talked about that yet," Jared replied, "but it'll probably—certainly—be this summer."

"Why?" blurted Jared's cousin Collin, with a thirteen-year-old's lack of concern for manners.

I took a deep breath, "Because I'm pregnant."

It took a moment for that to sink in. Then:

"What?"

"You're kidding!"

"Wow!"

"Your parents are going to freak!" I winced at that one. Jared pressed his lips to the top of my head.

"Why do you think we're here instead of there?" he retorted.

"Bella, if you need any help, please just ask. I know it'll be harder for you, with your mom living all the way across the country."

"Thanks. I'm pretty overwhelmed at the moment, but help will be great."

Footsteps on the porch distracted us, and we turned to see Seth standing in the doorway.

Conversation stopped abruptly as he walked through the cabin's open doorway, a trio of envelopes gripped in his hand.

"Guys, with everything that's been going on, we forgot to check our mailbox yesterday. Mom just had me check, and these were there. It's the test results."

No one moved; it was the moment of truth that had been a long time in coming. And even so, no one seemed quite ready for it. Seth remained where he was, uncertain, his hand half-outreached toward no one in particular.

Sam held Emily's hand, Quil was hugging Claire close, and Kim had flung her arms around Embry. I moved toward Seth, and he gratefully handed me the envelopes. I turned back toward Jared, but paused beside Jacob a moment, and laid my other hand briefly on his shoulder. It was almost like we were in some artist's still life painting, a frozen tableau. I broke it by extending the envelopes toward Embry. He shook his head almost violently. "_I can't,"_ he whispered. The others seemed equally reluctant. I couldn't really blame them: no matter how much they'd agreed they needed to know, two of them were about to have their lives changed forever.

"Do you want me to?" I asked, to no one and to everyone. Nods. I moved to sit on Jared's lap, and he held two of the envelopes while I opened the first. I glanced over my shoulder at him as I slid the contents out of the envelope. His eyes were fixed somewhere else in the room. I knew why: these answers weren't meant to come to him first. I skimmed the page to find that test result, then replaced it in its envelope and moved on to the next. After I'd opened all of them, I looked around the room. I might have known only one of these people just a few months ago, but now all of them were among the best friends I'd ever had.

I again extended my hand to Embry, this time holding out only one of the envelopes. With a trembling hand, he took it. Kim had to help him pull out the answer to his life-long question. All eyes focused on him. He stared at the paper, unmoving. Then, in an almost vampire-like blur of speed, he bolted from the cabin. Everyone's eyes whipped back to me. "You need to go talk to him," I spoke to the figure across the room from me. "He needs his brother right now."

Sam gazed back at me, eyes full of pain. "What am I supposed to say to him? What am I supposed to say to myself?"

"I wish I knew, Sam. But maybe that's what he needs to hear—that you're just as confused and upset and whatever else as he is.

"Go," Emily whispered, and Sam hugged her tightly for several moments before taking a deep breath, squaring his shoulders, and following after Embry. After his brother.

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Well, the question is finally answered. Joshua Uley was Embry's father as well as Sam's. Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll on this topic ages ago. I always planned on it being Joshua. I didn't know enough about Quil's dad to feel comfortable using him, and I didn't want to delve into the mess that would ensue if it had been Billy.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'd love to know what you think of these developments. Reviews will be greatly appreciated.


	35. Aftermath

AN: Not quite as many reviews this time around; I hope that it's just summer busyness and doesn't mean people didn't like the last chapter. Regardless, thank you to everyone who's taken a moment to let me know what they thought. The same deal will hold this time as before: send me a signed review, and I'll send you a tease of the next chapter. Thanks to all for their patience as I slogged through a heavy week in grad school.

srose: Thank you. I do try to put some thought and effort into everything I post. Few things will turn me off a story faster than having an illogical plot, so I never want my stories to be like that.

Aurelie: Thank you, and you did fine. Did you mean the engagement kiss? I liked that one too.

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Sam POV

I stepped off the porch and looked around to see if there was any sign of Embry; not surprisingly, there wasn't. I considered phasing to try and track him, but opted not to just yet, and started walking instead. The shirt lying on the ground relayed that Embry had done just that, and I didn't want to make contact without figuring out what I might say first. But what was that supposed to be? I didn't have any answers, not for Embry or even myself; not a comfortable feeling for an Alpha like me—one who was always expected to have the answers.

I was, as Bella had said a couple of minutes ago, confused and upset, and I wasn't sure what else. Joshua Uley had never been much of a father to me. He'd been a drunk, a liar, and a cheater. Seventeen years ago, he'd walked out on my mom and me. I'd only been three, so I didn't have many memories of him. He'd apparently headed up to Makah land, at least for a while. I wondered how much he'd told Melody Call; enough, apparently, that she'd moved down here after discovering she was pregnant. Had Joshua known then that he was walking out on another child? Had he cared? And on that handful of occasions when my _father_ had come back through, had he visited the two of them the way he had me and mom, before Embry was old enough to remember? I wasn't sure what to hope for.

But this wasn't about me, not really. I was who I'd always been—_he_ was the one who'd had his life and everything he'd known about himself turned upside down today. A distant howl echoed through the summer air, filled with hurt and rage, followed by another. _Embry._ I stopped, stripped, and phased. My normal Alpha instincts were heightened, knowing that my brother—my _brother_—was hurting.

_Embry?_

_Go away, Sam. Please._

_Can't do that, little brother._ Odd, how nice that sounded.

_Nice?_ His tone was bitter.

_Embry, there's nothing I can do about the fact that my dad—our dad—was a lowlife jerk._

_You think?_

_Yeah, that's what I think._ And I shared with him my own feelings of hurt and rejection as birthdays and Christmases had passed unnoticed, the looks and whispers I'd gotten for being "Uley's son".

I broke through a gap in the trees and found him. Embry was huddled against a tree whose trunk bore deep furrows from his claws. A few strides and I was at his side.

_Can you tell me why? Why did it all happen?_ His dark eyes implored me, begging for answers I didn't have. I settled down next to him, and he sagged against me. _Why, Sam?_

_I wish I knew. I've never understood how he could walk out on my mom and me, and then to turn around and do the same thing to your mom and you…? I guess he just never cared about anyone but himself._

_But what about her? Why keep it such a secret? Why couldn't she just __**tell**__ me?_

_That's something only she can answer for you, Embry._

_What am I supposed to do now? Do I tell her I know?_

_I'll leave that up to you. If you decide to tell her, I'll come with you if you need the support._

He laid his head down on his front paws with a sigh. _Do I have to decide now? Can we just not tell people for a while?_

_If that's what you want, little brother._ He lifted his head so I could see his eye-roll. _I do think we need to let the other elders know, and I'm sure the pack and imprints know by now, too, but it can stop there._

_Thanks._

_Ready to go back?_

_I guess._ Embry rose and shook himself out. 

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Bella POV

"Are we—how are we supposed to feel about this?" Quil asked, mostly to Jake, I thought.

"I have no idea," he admitted.

"We're going to let the two of them figure things out," Emily directed, "and let them tell or show us."

"Fine," Jake turned to me. "Pregnant, huh?"

I exhaled shakily. "Yeah."

"And you weren't—"

"No! It wasn't intentional. We weren't expecting this."

"She's right," Jared contributed. "We're happy, but we weren't planning on this for a while yet."

"And you didn't…" Paul trailed off when Emily caught his eye, tilting her head toward the kids in the room.

"That is none of your business," Jared's voice had dropped low in warning. My eyes widened as I realized what he'd been about to ask, and fought the temptation to blush. Definitely none of his business.

"Paul," Rachel chided, having also figured it out.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Whipped," I heard Jared mutter in my ear, which of course meant that the rest of the pack members present heard it too.

"Am not!" Paul protested vehemently.

"She says your name, in _that_ tone, and you immediately apologize. That, my friend, is the definition of 'whipped'. Face it, you're toast." The devilish grin on Jared's face was echoed by most of the others. Paul started looking around for any kind of help.

"Paul, I think the phrase is 'what goes around comes around," I offered. His response was a groan. I don't think anyone felt too sorry for him, though—he'd spent enough time teasing his imprinted friends that he deserved to get some of it back.

"So, Bella, wedding plans?" Kim jumped in. It looked like she was trying to distract herself as much as the rest of us from what might or might not be going on outside.

I'm not sure, yet. I don't have to have anything big, but I don't want a Justice of the Peace at the county courthouse either."

"What about here at La Push?" Jared suggested. I knew he'd be okay with whatever _I_ wanted, but he should get some of what he wanted too. I didn't have any attachments to a particular locale, so it didn't matter much to me.

"Sounds good."

"There are decorations stored away, like what was used at the prom and graduation party, which you're welcome to." This from Emily.

I could feel my head starting to spin from everything being thrown at it. Jared noticed, and cut off the brainstorming session.

"Thanks for all the starter ideas, but we probably ought to go see if our parents are ready to talk yet."

"I'll let you know about planning, Emily," I told her.

"Bella?" Leah approached as Jared helped me stand up. "Have you been to the doctor yet?"

I shook my head. "I hadn't even thought of that yet. We only found out last night."

"Well, my mom works at the clinic here on the rez. If you want, she could probably get you an appointment."

That sounded like a good idea. It wasn't like we'd be able to keep things secret for long, but I wasn't ready yet for word to spread through Forks, which a trip to the local family doctor or the hospital would certainly accomplish.

"Thanks, Leah," Jared told her, as we headed outside. We'd only just made the porch when we saw Sam and Embry coming out of the trees. I hung back to let Jared approach them first. He stopped and reached to lay a hand on each of his friends' shoulders.

"You guys okay?" A glance was exchanged between the brothers.

"I think we will be," Sam replied. "Oh, keep this news to yourselves for right now, alright?"

"You got it," Jared agreed, as did I. Moving up beside Jared, I paused only a moment before stepping forward to hug both Sam and Embry.

"Heading back home?" Sam asked when I'd stepped back.

"Yeah. Hopefully they've cooled off a bit by now. If not, we might be back again." Jared wrapped his arm around my waist, and we headed back toward his house.

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Jared's house had just come into view, which made me stop in my tracks. Despite knowing the necessity, I didn't really want to walk back into that lion's den, especially without knowing what would be waiting for us.

"Bella?" Jared looked down at me in concern.

"I'm okay; dreading this, but okay." A sudden thought had me scrabbling for the cell phone I wasn't carrying.

"What do you need?"

"I just thought I should call my mom, assuming Charlie hasn't already done that," I grimaced. I knew that Renee would be disappointed in me—after all, this was exactly, exactly what she had always preached against: early marriage and family. Even if she _had_ given me a thumbs-up where Jared was concerned, I strongly doubted that her _'don't let him slip away'_ bit had included me getting engaged less than a week later.

Jared pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to me. "Her number's in there," he told me. I was momentarily surprised, before remembering that one of us would have given it to him at some point last week. I scrolled through the contacts list, found her number, and hit the call button.

"Mom? It's Bella," I greeted when she answered her phone.

"Hi, sweetie, how are you?" my mom's voice was bubbling— obviously, Charlie _hadn't_ called her yet.

"Engaged," I blurted, deciding split-second to give her the easier news first.

Renee gave a little laugh—almost a giggle. "Well, can't say I didn't see this one coming. He asked you today?"

"Yeah. Down on one knee and all. He gave me his great-grandmother's ring as my engagement ring."

"What does it look like?" Renee was eager for details.

"An emerald in the center, with a few tiny diamonds on either side. I can take a picture and email it for you to see."

"I'd like that. Now, where did he ask you? A special place?"

"There's a little clearing in the woods here at La Push, right by Sam and Emily's cabin. It's where we had our first real talk." I heard an audible sniffle through the phone.

"How romantic," she sighed. Jared shrugged, his keen hearing having caught her remark. "Okay, you're engaged. Have you two talked about a date yet? And where?"

"I think it'll be up here," I admitted, "and sometime this summer." There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Bella, are you pregnant?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Uh-huh," I confessed, with all the enthusiasm of a condemned criminal heading for the gallows. "I haven't been to the doctor yet, but I took four home tests last night and they were all positive."

Jared eased the phone away from me, putting the call on speakerphone so that I could still hear. "Renee, I want you to know that I didn't lie to you last week. We did take precautions. This baby wasn't planned, but he or she will be very welcome when they get here. I plan to get her to the doctor as soon as possible. Sue Clearwater—she's Harry's widow—well, she works at the clinic here, so I think we might schedule an appointment down here, at least to begin with."

"Does Charlie know yet?" Renee moved on, apparently accepting what Jared had just said.

"Yeah," I groaned, "about the baby, anyway."

Jared continued, "Bella and her dad came down to have lunch with my family today. We were planning on telling everyone today, but before we got the chance, the smell of the dessert my mom cooked set off Bella's nausea, and they figured it out. Charlie…didn't take it very well, so I decided it'd be best if we went for a walk, before he said something that would hurt Bella and that he'd regret later on. I proposed, like Bella said. Renee," his voice was urgent and sincere, "I want you to know that this proposal wasn't a knee-jerk response or pressured reaction to the pregnancy. I love Bella so very much, and I'd actually already asked her informally a while ago. You remember the bracelet she wore in Florida?"

"The braided one with green and turquoise beads?" she asked.

"That's it. I gave it to Bella when I asked her unofficially. It's the Quileute version of a promise ring, I guess. Anyway, after she said yes today, we stopped to see our friends for a few minutes, and we're heading back to my place now—hopefully things are calmer by now."

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"You seem to be taking this awfully well," I mentioned that a bit hesitantly. I was glad that she wasn't freaking out the way Charlie had; it just wasn't anything close to what I'd expected was all.

"Well, I know that _not_ taking it well won't change anything. You're an adult now, Bella. You've acted like one for a long time now. My job isn't to make decisions for you anymore; it's to support the decisions you make for yourself. Charlie wants to do the right things for you, Bella, I know that; it's just hard for him to accept that you're not his little girl anymore. Maybe it would be easier for him to resist over-compensating if he'd been more involved before now—but that's on me and not you. Tell him to call me later and the two of us will talk," Renee said. "Bella?"

"Yes, mom?"

"I could wish that you'd waited on this, but I think the two of you will do just fine. You and Jared aren't Charlie and I. Call me when you decide on a date; I will definitely be there. I can't promise for Phil—it'll depend on his schedule."

"I know, and I'll understand if he can't come."

"Bella, can we talk soon, and see about doing some long-distance planning? I want to be as involved as I can, even if I can't be there for everything."

"Absolutely, mom. I want you involved, too." Now I felt bad; I was her only child, and my mom was going to miss out of a lot of my wedding planning.

"Renee?" Somehow, Jared seemed to sense what I was feeling. He wrapped his free arm around me, pressing me against the comfort of his body. "I'm pretty sure my mom will be willing to do a lot of the planning and logistics for the wedding; it makes sense, since it'll be up here. My friend Sam's fiancée Emily has offered to help out as well."

"That's so nice of them." Mom seemed relieved.

"I'll call you soon. I think I'll try to get some options that we can talk over. Right now, though, I guess we ought to go inside."

"Bye, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you, too, mom."

Shutting the phone, I handed it back to Jared. "It'll all be alright, Bella, I promise." He took my hand in his and held the door open with the other so that we could go inside.

Jared's parents and Charlie were just about where we'd left them. They were all sitting in the living room holding cups of coffee. I inhaled carefully and was relieved that the smell didn't trigger anything-this time, at least.

Laura rose, came over to us, and hugged me tightly.

"Welcome to the family, Bella," she said.

"You're okay with this?" I asked, surprised. They might not have said much earlier, but I wondered a little at this much acceptance.

She took my hand, rubbing her fingers over my new ring. "Of course the mother of my first grandchild is part of my family."

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Jared POV

I appreciated the acceptance my mom was showing, despite the disappointment she had to be feeling toward me. I wished I wasn't making things so hard for them—first coming to terms with me not going off to college right away, and now getting married and becoming a father right out of high school; I wished I didn't have to keep so many secrets, but it was unfortunately the way it had to be.

"Especially when she'll be your daughter-in-law," I announced.

"What?" That got Charlie Swan's attention and he shifted abruptly in his seat. _Watch it_, I thought, wondering if he was going to go off again. In hindsight, just announcing our engagement like this might not have been my best move.

"I asked Bella to marry me, and she's done me the honor of saying yes." I knew my mom would have figured that out as soon as she'd felt the ring. My dad wasn't reacting at the moment, and I was consciously trying not to focus on Bella's dad, not wanting to risk this turning into any kind of dominance contest. Nonetheless, I directed my next words to him. "I realize I've done this a little out of order, but I really felt that it was a question Bella deserved to hear first."

"Without asking me or her mom?" Charlie seemed a bit hurt, which I realized was understandable. I now remembered his conversation with Harry and Billy back at the beginning of May, when he'd already been expecting me to have a talk with him. _Guess it's a dad thing—expecting your daughter's guy to stop in for 'that talk'—oops._

"I guess I was focused on making sure that Bella knew I was saying it because I _wanted_ to and not because of parental pressure or anything else. I probably _would_ have been asking you for your blessing before too long, if we hadn't gotten surprised by this." I hoped I could make him believe me on this one.

"Jared, I feel like I need to ask this: did you take precautions?" My dad came right out and asked the question that everyone seemed to be thinking today.

"Yes, we did," I replied, and it was true—mostly.

"Okay, so where do we go from here?" Dad was sliding into his organizational mode.

"We've agreed on a wedding this summer, here at La Push most likely. Bella and her mom are going to do some long-distance planning, and Emily's already offered to help on this end." I looked to my mom. "I was hoping you might be willing to help Bella, well, with a lot actually, since her mom can't be here."

"Of course. Bella, whatever you need. Do you know if your mom's going to be able to come anytime?"

"For the wedding, she said," Bella answered.

"You talked to her?" Charlie re-entered the conversation.

"On our way back here," my fiancée confirmed. Wow. I had to struggle not to burst with pride at that thought. "I thought she deserved to know everything, too. This way, you each found out part of it first. Dad?" she moved a little closer to her father. "I need to know that you'll be okay with this eventually, that you'll support us. I know this might not be what you wanted for me, and it's not what I expected either, but I love Jared so much and we're going to make this work and get our 'happily ever after'."

"Baby," he pulled her into an awkward hug. "Of course I'll support you. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Jared will make sure that doesn't happen," she assured him; no pressure, huh?

"He'd better," Charlie warned.

I moved up behind Bella and met his eyes now. "I swear it, sir."

"So your mom knows, huh?" Charlie was trying to lighten things up.

"Yeah," Bella was gamely playing along. "She didn't seem surprised he asked me."

"Can't say I am either," he admitted.

"Dad?" Three down, one to go.

"What is, is. I'm glad that you're stepping up to your responsibilities."

"Do you have a date in mind?" mom asked us. Bella and I exchanged a look.

"I don't know how long it'll take to get things ready," Bella admitted. "Is a month long enough? Six weeks?"

"We can make it work, whatever date you choose."

Seeing she was still uncertain, I asked our parents, "Can we take a little time to think about it before deciding?" Getting their agreement was a relief. Bella and I headed back outside to talk about things.

"Truly, Bella, whatever date you want is fine with me," I assured her.

She bit her lip. "I don't want to wait so long that it's obvious I'm…I know everyone will figure it out soon enough, but…" I settled us into the hammock in the backyard and cradled her against me.

"I may be a guy, and I might be walking myself into trouble here, but you will be _gorgeous_ no matter when the wedding is. That said," I continued quickly, "I do understand not wanting to wait longer than we need to. Honestly—and again, I may be skirting trouble with this—I can't wait to have everyone in the world know you're my wife."

"Wife," she mused. "Husband."

"Jared? Bella?" we looked up to see Drew and Savannah.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

I waved them over, and Drew dragged a couple of lawn chairs close to the hammock. Suddenly, I really felt like I'd let them down as a big brother.

"Is Bella sick?" Savannah asked.

"I _got_ sick, but I'm feeling fine now." Bella told her.

"Bella and I just found out that we're going to have a baby," I confessed. My siblings stared back at me with wide eyes.

"How?" Drew had a look like he'd had the time I'd hidden his teddy bear and refused to tell him where it was.

"I guess we weren't careful enough. I don't really have an answer for you. I'm sorry for that."

"What's going to happen?" Savannah looked uncertain.

"Well, we're going to get married this summer, and then early next year, you'll get a niece or nephew."

"Wow. Can I babysit? Can I be a bridesmaid?" she was off and running. I couldn't help a headshake and grin.

"How about we get back to you on the babysitting?" Bella suggested. "We've got a while on that one. As for the other, I'd love to have you be one of my attendants."

I reached out and tapped Drew's shoulder. "You up to standing up with me?"

Shock. "I figured you'd pick Sam or Jake or somebody," he admitted.

"I might pick one or two others," I said, "but I still want you to be one—if you can handle wearing a 'monkey-suit' for a day."

"Sure." He paused, then sagged a little in his chair. "Man," he groaned. "Another sister."

"I'll be nice," Bella promised.

"When?" Savannah cut back in.

Bella and I exchanged another look. "What about the first weekend in July? Built-in celebrations we can appropriate." I could almost see what she as thinking: early July would put her at about the two-month mark. All I knew about pregnancy came from sex-ed classes in school, but I _thought_ that she wouldn't be showing much by then.

"What day?" Bella inquired.

"The third is that Saturday. If we did the ceremony in the afternoon, we could have the reception after, and then watch the fireworks."

She leaned over and kissed me, to the sound of Savannah's "Aw," and Drew's "Yuck." "Sounds perfect," she decided. "Should we go tell them?"

"I'm fine right here," I replied, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Hey, mom," Drew called. I twisted my head to see our parents and Charlie coming out the back door. Mom was carrying her camera.

"I thought you might want a few semi-official engagement pictures," she suggested.

"Wait," Savannah called. She dashed inside, only to return a couple minutes later with Bella's purse. "I thought you might want to freshen up first," my sister explained.

"Thanks." Bella quickly ran a comb through her hair and applied some lip gloss. It was obvious that photography was my mom's hobby as she directed us through several different poses, from our initial position in the hammock, to leaning against my car, to sitting on a blanket in the grass.

"I'm sure they'll be perfect," Bella told her, just before she and Charlie left for home. "Just like the senior pictures were."

"I'm happy to do this for the two of you again." My mom gave her another hug. "If you like, I'll try to come up with some ideas that we can go over in a day or two—maybe even get your mom on the phone at the same time."

"That sounds great. Thank you!"

"I'll see you soon," I whispered as I helped her into Charlie's cruiser. "I love you."

"I love you, too."


	36. Appointment

AN: Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers: you make it so worthwhile. I love hearing your comments and predictions. Review = teaser.

Once again, especial thanks to mc7575 for all the research help. These chapters wouldn't be coming out as fast as they do without your efforts on my behalf.

JacobEdwardLover94: I completely understand. School is the big reason why I've had to drop output down to about a chapter a week, instead of a new one every few days. I hope you continue to enjoy it, and I'll see what I can do about giving you a stockpile of new chapters to read. You could always start over from the beginning, too. Lol.

Srose: Glad you liked it. Hope you like this next chapter, regardless of shirt-status.

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Jared POV

After Bella and her dad left, I headed inside to call Sue Clearwater.

"Sue? It's Jared."

"Hello, Jared. What can I do for you?"

I took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you knew whether the clinic would have any openings tomorrow?"

"What do you need?" her voice was justifiably skeptical. I couldn't blame her: we wolves had built-in immunity and rapid healing—doctors weren't something we tended to need.

"It's not for me…it's for Bella." Another deep breath. "She's pregnant, Sue. We need to know officially, I guess, and if everything's okay."

"We ought to have a spot," Sue replied. "I'll swing over to the clinic and check the schedule. Should I call you back or call Bella instead?"

"Bella. I'll see her later on."

"Should I offer congratulations?"

"Thank you." The call over, I fell back to land on my bed with a flop. What a day. The last not even 24 hours had totally changed everything for me. Saturday morning I'd been a normal teenage guy just arriving home with his girlfriend from a vacation. By Sunday evening, I was engaged and a father-to-be.

"Growing up isn't as easy as it seems, is it?" My eyes flew open when my dad spoke.

"We don't always have a say it what happens to us, but we have everything to do with how we react to it," I responded. Dad smile slightly when I quoted one of his favorite sayings. I took a deep breath, somehow compelled to get this off my chest. "Dad…I did try to be careful, I swear I did, but I guess I wasn't as careful as I could have been."

"Believe it or not, but I was your age once. I won't lie and say I'm not disappointed. I know it's hard, being responsible, but it does say something that you're stepping up on this on your own." He paused. "How does Bella feel about this? Has she said?"

"She's always one to be more concerned about other people than about herself. She was more worried about how I'd react, how our parents would react, than anything. She's nervous—so am I—but she says she's happy."

"Did the two of you take the time to talk any, before your mom got camera-happy?"

I suddenly remembered that I'd derailed Bella's intention to pass that information along. "Yeah, we did. We've pretty much decided on the first Saturday in July, kind-of tie in with the holiday celebrations."

"Okay, I'll pass that along. What about a venue?"

"I don't know. We don't have to have anything fancy. Maybe on the beach if the weather's nice."

"We can certainly hope for that, but let's not forget a backup plan, just in case." Dad suggested.

"Is this guy time, or can I join in?" Mom asked from the doorway.

"Come on in," I pushed myself upright on the bed to make room.

"Saturday July 3rd, hopefully on the beach," Dad filled her in.

"Guests?" Mom extended the next question.

"Probably just family and close friends, but I'll check with Bella to make sure." I felt fairly confident in my answer, but I wasn't going to get this new phase of our relationship off on a bad foot by assuming anything.

"Reception?" In some matters, my mom's organizational tendencies equaled my dad's.

"Bella won't want any special fuss, you know that. And I'll eat anything," I teased. They both laughed.

"What about a casual potluck? Beach weddings are generally informal." Mom offered this idea.

I considered it. "Hate to sound like a broken record, but—"

"It's good that you and Bella are so focused on communicating with each other. So many times, not communicating is what gets couples into trouble."

Bella POV

"Guess I'll have to go get a suit, won't I?" Charlie's face twisted a little.

"Dad, please don't go out and buy something. This _is_ a one-time deal, after all."

"I'm going to look right for your wedding, Bella. Have to do you proud."

"Jared and I still need to do a little talking. I promise I'll let you know what'll be good. If you do need something, there are places that rent suits or tuxes." I was going to do everything I could to make this easy for him.

"Going to have anybody up there with you? Like a bridesmaid?"

"Jared's brother and sister are going to be up with us. I think he might ask one or two of his friends. I think I might ask Angela, maybe Kim or Emily." I'd have to think on that one—which was exactly what I did while Charlie called Renee.

I honestly wasn't sure who to pick besides Angela. Both Kim and Emily had become very good friends in the past couple months. We all shared the bond of being imprints. But the more I thought about it, I realized the choice was actually a simple one.

"Emily?"

"Hi, Bella."

"I was wondering…"

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Jared slipped in later that night as usual. He relayed his conversation with his parents.

"I don't want to put anyone to any trouble," I tried to protest, when he mentioned the potluck idea.

"It's not a bother, Bella. If people bring one dish to share, there'll be plenty. Mom's great at organizing, so she could make sure we don't end up with ten bowls of corn or something."

"Like you guys would care," I giggled. "You eat _anything_."

"True. But seriously, she'll arrange anything. She promises no coffeecake or anything else that might make you sick. Just let her know."

"I can't believe she's being so nice about this—that everyone is." It was a little hard to grasp. Other than Charlie, there hadn't been any yelling or anything like what I'd expected. Even Renee, who'd I expected to really freak out, had been almost blasé about it; but then she _had_ always been 'quirky'.

"'There's no use crying over spilled milk,' or so my grandmother used to say. I think they're going to focus on helping us the best ways they can. On that note," Jared looked at me intently, "they have offered us the apartment over the store as a place to live. It's nothing fancy, but it's cozy, and it'd be a good start."

I could feel tears starting to prick my eyes. I wasn't sure why this made me emotional, but somehow it had. "Short commute to work for you, huh?"

"Yeah, it would be. But if you don't like it, we can figure something else out," he rushed to add that last bit. I wasn't sure what other options there were, though. Money was going to be tight for a long time, what with both of us being so young, and with a baby on the way, too. Neither of us came from rich families, either.

"No, I think this will be fine for us to get started in. Can we pick colors or anything like that?"

"They were talking about freshening things up before the wedding, so if we have colors we'd like, I'm sure it would be simple to arrange. And speaking of arrangements, who do you think you might ask besides Savannah?"

I smiled I moved to rest my head against the junction of his shoulder and chest. "I've already asked Emily, and I'm going to call Angela tomorrow. You?"

His voice was even deeper than usual, with my ear so close to him. "I talked to Sam, so I guess we were on the same wavelength there. I'm not sure who else. It's almost hard to pick just one."

I felt bad about that. I hadn't realized I'd be putting him in an awkward spot by picking two of my friends. "I can just have two—I don't have to ask Angela."

He shifted so a finger on his other hand could come to rest on my lips. "You want your two friends, you get your two friends. End of story. I'll pick another besides Sam, and we'll be fine. And no one will have hurt feelings if they aren't picked, I promise."

I closed my eyes and just listened to his heart beating under my ear. His reassurances had smoothed over my doubts.

"Did Sue give you a call?" he asked a few minutes later.

"She did," I confirmed, "a little while before you got here. They've got an opening first thing tomorrow morning. I'm not looking forward to it," I admitted, knowing that I was about to ask something big of him.

Jared shifted so he could crane his neck and look at me in question.

"They're going to draw blood to run some tests, she told me. I _hate_ needles and blood. I almost fainted in Biology last year, the day they did blood-typing. Mike Newton started to take me to the nurse, before Edward rescued me from him."

_"He_ was in Biology during_ blood-typing_?" Jared hissed. I could feel tension in his body at the obvious assumption.

"No," I elaborated. "He'd skipped class that day. He was listening to music in his car when he saw me with Mike. Took me to the nurse, then somehow charmed Mrs. Cope into letting both of us leave when someone else came in with the same symptoms as me, only they'd gotten far enough to prick their finger. Neither one of us stuck around, I swear."

"What time's your appointment?" He moved past the issue; not that there was much point in dwelling on it—it had happened more than a year ago and no one had been harmed.

"Eight in the morning."

"Do you want me to pick you up?" he asked. Then, "What? Of course I'm coming—unless you don't want me to." The puppy-dog look in his eyes said he didn't want to hear that answer. I started to tear up again.

"I wanted to ask, but…"

"_Always_ ask me for what you need, for what you want, Bella. _I will always be there for you_!

"I love you." Three little words, to try and convey so much.

We fell asleep spooned together. One of Jared's arms cradled me from underneath, the other hand rested protectively over my lower abdomen. I blinked back tears yet again to see how protective he was already.

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Jared was as good as his word, picking me up a little before 7:30 the next morning. Charlie had left for work while I was still in the shower, though a note left propped on the kitchen table did ask that he be kept in the loop with any news. Jared and I held hands the entire drive down to the clinic.

"Bella?" I looked up from completing the last of the paperwork to see that it was Sue Clearwater who had called my name. Butterflies were swirling madly in my stomach as I stood up. Jared moved to follow suit before Sue spoke again. "I'm going to need to do a full physical exam on Bella. It might be best if you waited here for a little while until I'm done. I'll have someone call you in before we get into specifics."

"Before any needles," I insisted.

Back in the exam room, I changed into a hospital gown before Sue got started. "This is just to get some baseline information on you, Bella. This way we can make comparisons as things progress."

After I'd changed back into my regular clothes, Sue went and got Jared so he could join me.

"I understand you believe you're pregnant," Sue began.

"That's what four home tests said on Saturday," I confirmed.

"Okay, they're most likely accurate, but we'll do another here, and a blood test just for confirmation. We'll also be running some other tests just to make sure you're healthy, so that we can keep you and the baby that way."

I was sent into the bathroom to take another box test and also for a urine sample for some of the tests. "Positive," Sue said, checking the latest test kit. "Congratulations." That done, we were now up to the part I was really dreading. "I'm going to need to get some blood samples," she informed me. Jared helped me lay back on the exam table and positioned himself so that my view of what Sue doing was blocked by his body. He started a quiet conversation.

"We probably ought to start making a guest list, so we can get an idea of numbers for the food," he suggested. I smiled in gratitude for the distraction he was providing.

"Families, of course, the pack and imprints, a few school friends—that's about it, I guess" Having a big guest list didn't seem like a good idea, especially with the short notice we'd be giving everyone. Plus, there wasn't really anyone else I hadn't just mentioned that I would want.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed.

"All done," Sue informed us. "Bella, we'll get this sent off to confirm your pregnancy and to test for—" I cut her off.

"I'd rather not know right now, if that's alright," I interrupted.

"Bella, it's my job as an OB-GYN Nurse-practitioner to make sure you know what we're doing and why," she explained.

"If I find out right now about everything that _could_ be wrong, I'll start worrying. Can't I just find out when those tests come back negative?"

Her face softened. "Okay. I'll just give the information to Jared then, alright?" I nodded.

"Moving on, then," she continued. "Bella, when did your last menstrual cycle begin?"

My face flushed a little, even though I knew Jared had probably—okay, certainly—been aware of it during his sleepovers. I told myself to focus, and thought back. "The last week of April."

"And you were sexually active during May, correct?"

I shook my head in affirmation, blushing brighter now. Jared came to my rescue. "Three times during that first week of May, and then again a couple weeks later."

"Did you use any kind of protection? Bella, are you on any birth control?"

"No, I'm not. There wasn't ever a need, before," I answered her second question; Jared caught the first one. "We did, the first and last times, but not the middle two," he confessed.

"We'll have to wait for the blood test to determine hormone levels, so that might or might not have been a factor—condoms do fail sometimes. But based off the dates of the last cycle and the physical exam, I'm going to place conception in mid-May, so your due date will be in the first part of February, probably the first week of February."

"No exact date," Jared wondered.

Sue chuckled, "I can pick a number, if you like, but most babies aren't actually born on their 'official' due date; actually, a week or two on either side is still considered to be full-term. Now, for the most part, you can go on with life as usual, Bella. I'm recommending you start taking a prenatal vitamin, just to boost what you'll be getting from your diet. It's important to eat balanced meals. Try to avoid too much sugar or caffeine."

"So, no more Cokes?" That was going to be a tough one; I was as attached to my daily dose as Charlie was to his coffee.

"It's best to cut them out completely, if you can. But if not, then at least cut back as much as possible. If you have one while having a dinner out with friends, it won't hurt anything. Just make sure to be drinking plenty of water, milk, and juice to make up for it."

"What kinds of things should we be expecting?" Jared asked. "She's already thrown up once, from smelling something."

Sue offered him a commiserating smile. "Get used to it," she advised. "Morning sickness—which can occur at any time of day or night, by the way—will probably be a fixture for the next couple months. By the time you're out of the first trimester, it ought to be pretty much over. Obviously, try to avoid certain smells, if you already know you're sensitive, but there's not much else to do. You might try keeping some crackers by your bed—it can help to eat a little something before even getting out of bed in the morning. Ginger-ale is also soothing, so is lemon-lime soda"

"Emily said there are some teas that can help, too," I remembered her offer from the drugstore.

"That's right."

"Okay, morning sickness. What else?" Jared asked again.

"Bella, you're probably going to feel more emotional, which is perfectly normal; _you _can help by just being understanding," she told him. "You might also feel more tired than usual, and your breasts will start feeling a bit more sensitive."

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Jared POV

"I think that's it for this time," Sue closed Bella's chart and looked up at us. "You should probably go ahead and set up your next appointment for a month from now. We'll want to see you once a month until your last month, Bella, and every week from then until you deliver."

Sue gathered a collection of pamphlets for me while Bella spoke with the receptionist about her next appointment. "Jared, do you think the end of the first week of July would work?" she asked me.

"Sure, it'll be fine." I knew my parents would be fine with me missing an hour of work to come with Bella. And we'd be busy enough in the next few weeks that waiting until after the wedding for the next appointment was probably going to be best.

We'd planned on spending a little time at my house with mom, but she ended up having run up to Port Angeles on an errand, according to Savannah. Mom had left on the table a list that she'd started of family members to put on the guest list. I saw that my uncle Chris, aunt Melanie, and my cousins would be coming up from Portland, as would my Mahan grandparents.

"So, here's the list my mom started. Then, your parents, stepdad, Ben…Any of your other Forks friends?"

"Friends? Honestly, I'm not sure that they ever really were friends of mine. They always saw me as a shiny toy or a prize to compete over, not as a person—look how quickly they disappeared when my life took that detour. And after how they've acted since we met, why on earth would I want them at my wedding?" Bella's voice rose, and I wondered if this was a taste of the mood swings that Sue had mentioned.

Bella wanted to get some things done at her house, so I drove her home. She gave Angela a call and made plans to have lunch together. I knew I'd only be in the way, so I headed home for lunch. When I got there, mom was back and busy in the kitchen. I decided to take a look at the brochures from the clinic while I waited. I stared at the informational literature Sue had given me, feeling a rare sense of terror. My elbows propped on the table, I let my head fall forward to rest against my hands.

"Jared?" It was my dad.

"How do you get through this without going crazy?" I asked. He snorted.

"Get through what, exactly?" Great, he thought this was funny.

"All the things there are to worry about." I rattled off the litany of things they were testing Bella's blood for right now. "Rh compatibility, diseases, infections, genetic disorders, cancer, diabetes…"

"Jared," my mom was there, too, sliding into the chair beside mine, and wrapping her arm around my shoulders. I let her pull me close, much as _I_ often did to Bella. "It's only natural to feel overwhelmed. You're dealing with a lot right now. But there's not that much to worry about. These tests are meant to _eliminate_ worries, not _create _them. These things aren't common, but they can become issues if they aren't identified. This way, you know they won't happen, so you don't have to worry about them."

"I think Bella had the right idea after all," I muttered.

"Not that she usually doesn't, but what this time?" Dad was still amused.

"She told Sue not to tell her anything until the results came back."

"Understandable right now," Mom agreed. "I think this might help." She pulled out a plastic shopping bag and removed something. It was a book.

"_What to Expect when you're Expecting,"_ I read the title.

"There's a copy for Bella, too."

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I'd meant what I'd told Bella about choosing another guy to stand up with me. I knew that whoever I asked—or didn't ask—would be fine with it. But who should it be? Sam had been the obvious choice: my mentor in all things wolf, a friend in figuring out the imprint. Paul…had become a better friend after he'd joined us, and had been my first opportunity of protecting Bella. Embry…Quil…both friends now. But really, I realized, there was only one perfect choice. I'd been looking for a way to say thanks for a while now—this was it.

"Hiding out?" It was as if my thoughts had caused him to materialize: Jake stood in my doorway.

"Just thinking. What are you doing here?" As if I didn't have an idea already.

"Quil and I brought Seth, Brady, and Collin over to play videogames with Drew. Has it sunk in yet?" He flipped my desk chair around and straddled it.

I scrubbed my hands over my face. "I don't know. I'm happy, but also scared to death. It's not just Bella's life in danger now from Victoria—the baby's at risk, too."

"We're _going_ to get her, Jared, I swear it," Jake vowed. "I'm not going to let anything happen to my friend. Like I said before, I know Bella's tied to you, like Savannah is to me, but I still care what goes on with her. I want to do anything I can to help you both."

"Would that include standing up with me?"

His mouth dropped open and his eyes bugged out. _"What?"_

"Bella's asking Emily and Angela to be her bridesmaids, along with Savannah; I've already talked to Drew and to Sam. I'd like you to be up there as well. I know Bella would like it—even though I haven't mentioned this to her—and it just seems right. I really owe you for all the help you've given both of us since I imprinted."

"Wow. Um, okay." Jake gathered his scattered thoughts.

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Bella POV

Angela had been only too happy to accept an invitation over for lunch on Monday. "The twins are driving me crazy today!" she exclaimed with uncharacteristic emotion when she arrived. "I'll be heading off to college completely insane at this rate."

"I guess kids can be like that," I observed, wryly reflecting that I'd soon be discovering that firsthand.

Angela's brows rose when I opted for a glass of water over my usual coke. "Bella, not that I'm not happy to spend some time with you, but I'm getting the feeling there's more to this than just lunch."

"Yeah. I was wondering if you had any plans for the Fourth of July weekend."

The apparent non sequitur threw her a little. "Fourth of July? I don't think so—nothing special anyway. Why?"

"Would you like to be one of my bridesmaids?"

"What?" her mouth dropped open, and her eyes flew to my hands. I held the left one up, showing off the ring that had rested there for a whole 24 hours now. "You're getting married? _This_ Fourth of July?"

"The third, actually."

"Why so soon?" My flaming face must have given it away. "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah. Due in February; we just found out."

"Did your parents…?"

"Jared's parents took it pretty well. So did my mom, which totally threw me. It was my dad who lost it, but I think he's coming around a little. The proposal was all Jared's idea; not that they wouldn't have suggested it if he hadn't asked me first."

"Are you sure about this?" Angela reached across the table to lay a hand on mine.

"Do you remember a while back, when you asked me if I could see Jared being 'the one', of eventually having everything with him?" I asked her. "Maybe 'eventually' is coming a little sooner than we expected, but I _am_ sure. I know things won't be easy, but I love him, I love this baby, and somehow we'll make it all work."

"I believe that. And I'd be honored, Bella, truly. So, any wedding details yet?"

We spent quite a while discussing what Jared and I had already come up with. Angela offered to see if her mom could help us with the invitations. "She's really into scrapbooking and card-making, so she's got lots of paper and accessories." She was silent a moment. "Do you know who you'll ask to officiate?"

I groaned softly. "No. I just knew I didn't want a Justice of the Peace at the courthouse."

"My dad's a minister. I could see if he's available that day, if you wanted."

"Thanks, Angela." I could feel an emotional swing like Sue had warned me about coming on. She'd always been such a good friend to me.

"So, what color will I be wearing?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what will look good on everyone."

"Well, who else is 'everyone'?" Angela asked the practical question.

"I'm having Jared's sister Savannah, and Emily, and you."

"Maybe a darker color instead of pastels, then."

I thought for a moment. "How do you feel about green?"

"That's Jared's favorite, isn't it?" she grinned when I nodded. "Sounds great."

I lost my next thought when my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Bella, it's Laura. I was wondering if you had any time this afternoon to go over a few things."

"Sure. Would you like me to come down?"

"That would be lovely. Jared mentioned you'd asked Emily to be your bridesmaid, so I'll see if she's available, too."

"I've asked Angela as well. We're actually having lunch and talking right now. I'll check and see if she can come down with me." I looked up, dropping the phone down to my shoulder. "It's Jared's mom. Do you have time to come down to La Push with me for a wedding meeting?"

"Sure. Just let me call my mom and let her know."

"Laura, we'll be down in about half an hour, if that's okay," I returned to the phone call.

"I'll see you both then."

I placed our dishes in the sink as Angela called home. Not sure how long I'd be gone, I left a note on the table for Charlie, before we headed outside to our cars. "I'll just follow you down, if that's alright, Bella. That way you can stay as long as you need to and not worry about getting me back to town," Angela suggested.

She had a point. We had a ton of stuff to do if we hoped to have a wedding pulled together in the next month. As odd as it was, I was finding myself getting excited to see what we'd come up with. I'd never expected that I would be so enthusiastic about planning a wedding, yet here I was. I guessed this was something else I owed to Jared being Jared.

Arriving at the Mahan's house, I found that the younger set of the pack had noisily invaded the basement. Sam and Emily were waiting with Jared and his parents, and Jacob, in the kitchen. So I had my answer on who else Jared would ask. We all gathered around the table and started talking. July third was coming soon.

AN: This chapter was tweaked a little from the original version. I've also added a link to a picture of Bella's engagement ring on my profile page.


	37. Engaging Preparations

AN: Wow. I have amazing readers/reviewers. I just passed the 800 mark for reviews for this story, and in only 36 chapters. Thank you, thank you to everyone who's taken a moment to let me know what you've thought, asked a question, or offered a suggestion. We're doing a little time jumping here; hope it makes sense and that you like it. The next chapter after this one will contain the wedding. I've got a start on it already; lots of reviews on this chapter will inspire me to whip it into shape quickly.

Srose: Hope the wedding is coming soon enough for you. I was hoping to have it in this chapter, but so much else insisted on getting their places too.

JacobEdwardLover: Enjoy your vacation—I only got 1 ½ weeks between my spring and summer semesters, and will only get about 2 weeks between summer and fall. Really makes me enjoy the month off over Christmas. Hope this came soon enough for you.

Oh, I made some small changes to the last chapter, and have also added a link on my profile page to an image of my version of Bella's engagement ring. I'm adding another link as soon as this chapter goes up that will show what her wedding dress is like.

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Bella POV

The entire rest of the month of June had passed in a blur, broken by a few moments of clarity. All the wedding planning had set my head spinning. And when it wasn't spinning from that, the pregnancy took over. Not that we'd had any doubts, but the blood test had indeed confirmed I was pregnant. Much to my relief, the blood and urine tests had also ruled out any of the potential problems I hadn't wanted to hear about. The book Jared had passed on from his mom, _What to Expect When You're Expecting_, had become my Bible. It seemed like I was constantly referring to it. I'd even caught Charlie sneaking a peak once or twice; not that I could blame him—it _had _been a while since he'd had to deal with an emotional pregnant woman.

As Sue had foretold, I quickly started dealing with the spectrum of pregnancy symptoms. My nausea that day at lunch wasn't just a one-time thing, but was now a regular occurrence. Charlie had taken to swinging by the café on his way to work to pick up coffee, as the smell of it brewing was guaranteed to send me running to the bathroom. I was quickly coming to loathe that sour taste in my mouth. But I had still been able to find a positive aspect to it. Jared had stared at me when I mentioned that.

"I know you try to find the good in anyone and anything, Bella," he'd said cautiously, "but how can there be anything positive in you throwing up every day?"

"I don't have to keep looking up new fish recipes," I'd replied triumphantly, before giggling. He'd joined me in laughter, because it was true. I'd discovered almost immediately that the one thing besides coffee guaranteed to set me off was fish—uncooked, cooked, baked, fried, grilled: it didn't matter. So the entrée was now officially banned from my kitchen until further notice. But to keep from disrupting Charlie's fishing habit, Billy, Sue, and I had come up with a rather ingenious system: Billy would take Charlie fishing and they would take the fish over to Sue, who would cook it up for them. On Charlie's behalf, she was even making things he could freeze and then use after I'd moved out.

Jared was amazing as I dealt with anytime sickness, mood swings, exhaustion, and endless trips to the bathroom for my ever-shrinking bladder. Sometimes I felt bad for how much he was dealing with right now: wolf stuff, my pregnancy, our wedding, and having to pick up more time at his parents' store. I knew we would need the money, so I wasn't going to complain about that last bit—too much. To keep myself distracted, I alternated between spending time at the store with him, "Learning the ropes of the family business," I explained; and meeting with everyone who was helping us out. Kim's mom was a great seamstress and had offered to make dresses for my bridesmaids. To make things easy, all three dresses were the same green fabric and the same knee length style with spaghetti straps. Renee and Laura found dresses with reversed combinations of green, so they would coordinate but not exactly match. Since we were hoping and planning for a casual beach wedding, the guys were going to go with suits rather than tuxes, and would be renting instead of buying.

My dress…I still couldn't help crying as I remembered that particular shopping trip.

(flashback)

The entire wedding party: all the Mahan's, me, Angela, Jacob, Emily, and Sam, had all driven to Port Angeles for some wedding shopping; only Charlie had had to beg off, citing some police issues. I was surprised when Ben showed up too, but he said he just wanted to spend time with everyone before heading off to college in the fall. The guys dropped us off at Black Diamond Bridal. Ben handed a rectangular bag to Angela, one that looked suspiciously like a laptop case.

"What's that?" I asked.

To my surprise, Jared was the one who answered. "I know it's bothered you a little that your mom can't be here for all these preparations, especially this shopping trip. Well, I thought that this would be the next best thing. There's a webcam on the laptop, and your mom and Angela are all set up with Skype accounts. She'll be able to see everything you try on and give you her suggestions."

"You set up a web chat with my mom for my dress shopping?" I stared at my fiancé as if he were speaking a foreign language. He nodded. I flung myself into his arms and hugged him tightly. Pulling back, I breathed, "Thank you," before kissing him. Only the laughter of our audience made us break apart. As the girls pulled me toward the store entrance, I had enough time to call out, "Thank you," again before he disappeared from my sight.

The saleslady, Madeleine, suggested I browse a little to see what caught my eye, since I didn't really know what I wanted; I did have some ideas of what I _didn't_ want: fancy, ornate, over-the-top—in short, anything I would have ended up with if Alice had been involved in this. The cap-sleeve dresses looked nice, until I realized that they looked a little too 'Anne of Green Gables'-ish, which would have been perfect for Edward, but that was something long ago consigned to the realm of impossibility in my mind, heart and dreams, and which I had long since ceased to have regrets about. The one-shoulder look was a little too much like my prom dress, and the two-strap look seemed so…so ordinary. I realized I was being drawn to the strapless dresses, perhaps in part because I knew how Jared would likely react.

"We're ready here, Bella," Angela informed me.

"Do we have some ideas now?" Madeleine inquired.

"Yes, I think I'll want to have something strapless," I announced.

"Excellent. Any fabric preferences?"

"We're hoping for a beach wedding, so something flowy?" I wondered.

She went to go pull a few options while I headed over to Angela to say hello to my mom through the webcam.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi, baby. I'm so happy I can be here for you."

"Jared's pretty amazing, isn't he? I can't believe he set this up." It was enough to make me want to tear up; yet more proof of the love between us.

"He really loves you, baby." Renee was so excited she was having trouble remembering to stay in front of the camera so that I could see her.

"I know. And I love him."

"Here we go," Madeleine arrived, carrying several dresses over her arm. "Let's get you in the changing room and see what the first dress looks like."

I got some complimentary gasps when Madeleine pulled back the curtain.

"Oh, Bella," Renee cooed.

The dress had horizontal ruching across the top of the bodice and the entire gown was embroidered with a delicate floral pattern.

"What do you think?" Emily asked me.

"I don't know. It's pretty, but…I don't like the ruching, and the embroidery just seems like it's too fancy for the wedding we're planning."

"That's fine, Bella, this gives us a direction to go in." Madeline made a note on her pad. "Let's try something else."

The next option was lace-covered with a criss-cross wrap of fabric at the bodice.

"That's pretty, Bella," Angela offered.

"But…" Even from the other side of the country, Renee must have caught my ambivalence.

"It's a little too fitted. I don't want to get a dress, only to have it end up too tight around my stomach on my wedding day." Catching Madeleine's confusion, I realized I'd have to make my first outsider announcement. "I'm pregnant—about six weeks along."

"Oh. Congratulations. And the wedding will be…?"

"In three weeks."

"Congratulations. Alright, so the fit around the waist is important. You know, I would recommend an empire-waist. That will hit along your ribcage, under the bust, and we can find something that will drape over the stomach and not cling. Give me just a moment." She disappeared, but returned a couple minutes later with an armful of filmy fabric.

With the gown on, I turned to face the mirror in the dressing room and struggled to remember how to breathe. The bodice had vertical pleats, with a satin band under the bust. At the top point of the band, at the base of my sternum, was a small jeweled brooch. The skirt of the gown was made of light-weight chiffon that floated away from my body, stopping just a fraction above the floor, except for a short train at the back. When the curtain was pulled back to reveal me to everyone, there was a moment of silence, followed by loud squeals.

I hadn't needed their reactions to know it though: the instant I'd faced the mirror I had known I'd found my dress. "This is it!" I could hardly believe that I would be walking out with the perfect dress for my wedding. The fact that they had my size in stock, and that it was on sale were mere bonuses.

"Perfect," Emily sighed.

"You look like an angel," squealed Savannah.

"Beautiful," Laura gave me a hug.

"Give her one for me," Renee instructed, and my soon-to-be mother-in-law did just that.

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"Don't you dare," Emily slapped Jared's hand away from the opaque garment bag containing my gown. "You can't see that until the wedding."

"Will I like it?" he wheedled, but did move his hand away as directed.

I reached up to run a finger along the line of his jaw. "You know how you didn't need that EMT on prom night?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we'll want to have one standing by for the wedding."

"Oh, boy."

(end flashback)

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As I'd expected, the news of my impending wedding hit Forks with the same force as my arrival must have done a year and a half ago. And also as anticipated, it didn't take long for some people to start coming to the correct conclusion about the reason for a month-long engagement. It took only one derisive comment from Lauren and her crowd for Jake to follow through on his threat from the last school beach trip and ban the lot of them from coming down to La Push. And since I was spending a lot of my time there, I didn't have much occasion to run into them.

Angela's father, the local Lutheran minister, had agreed to perform our wedding. We did have to have a couple of sessions with him, just so he could talk with us about the particular pressures of marrying so young and starting a family so quickly. He did seem somewhat impressed with how mature we were, but reiterated Jared's mom's advice about communicating. Reverend Weber also encouraged us to have a support network of family and friends that we could turn to for help.

"That's what the tribe is, Bella. It's really one big family," Jared had commented as we headed back to La Push that day. "Others will help us now, and someday we'll help someone else who needs it."

"Like paying it forward," I observed.

"Exactly."

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The more I'd thought about it, I'd come to the decision that I wanted to do something special for Jared. He had always been so wonderful about giving me anything I wanted, and that included the wedding ideas. With all that he had on his plate, I wanted there to be something about that weekend that was all about him. I was stumped on ideas, until I sought advice from Sue.

"Well, Bella, there is something that we could set up, if you really wanted."

"What is it?'

"There's a little tribal ceremony that can be done the midnight before a more traditional wedding ceremony. We'll need to find you something to wear, and teach you some of the language."

"Whatever I need to do. I really want to do something special for him."

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The weekend before the wedding, Jared's mom had invited me down for lunch. We went over to the community center afterward to finalize details for our reception there. When Jared and I walked inside, I at least was stunned by what I saw. One whole corner of the room was filled with furniture, dishes, small appliances, bedding and linens—everything a couple would need to start a life together. I honestly couldn't say what brought me to tears over this surprise wedding shower from the tribe. I pressed close to Jared and heard him say, "Wow." As we walked around looking at the things others had given us, I murmured, "I know you said they help others, but this is too much."

"They want to help, Bella. Others helped them before, they're helping us now, and we'll be expected to help others in our turn. We can even start now: like with the twin beds we won't need any more. There'll probably be someone who could use one or both." The idea of passing on to other people the generosity we were being shown really did make me feel better about the whole display in front of me.

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Renee arrived from Florida at the beginning of that last week in June. She passed along Phil's regrets—he had a game on Friday night. We got to work on packing up all my stuff—all the things I planned to keep, that is. The whole process took a lot longer than I expected, thanks to countless trips of Renee's down Memory Lane.

On Thursday, we were interrupted by Charlie's rather frantic voice from downstairs. "Bella! Renee! You've got company!"

We got downstairs just in time to see him hightailing it out of the house. It was obvious as to why: Laura, Sue, Leah, Rachel, Emily, Kim and her mom, and Angela and her mom had all arrived.

"Hi," I was a bit uncertain about the reason for this influx of my wedding planning crew.

Emily came to give me a hug. "Bella, we decided we wanted to give you a few things."

"You don't have to do that. You have all given me so much already with all the wedding help."

"Well, this is more for after," Rachel grinned slyly.

My face flamed as I figured out what she meant. "You didn't…" I groaned. But they had. Fighting blushes all the way, I somehow got through the lingerie shower they'd decided to throw for me. Jared had never seemed to mind my usual attire, but Renee pointed out the benefits to having some special things. None of it was stuff I'd ever thought of buying for myself, but for Jared…trying to imagine his reactions to me wearing these sheer numbers… Being a seductress would be a departure for me, but one that made me feel…I decided that 'tantalizing' was the right word, and couldn't help a small sly smile.

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The night before the wedding, Jared's parents threw a big pre-wedding family dinner, which most of the pack ended up crashing—well, not really crashing, since most of the guys would be helping out in one way or another tomorrow.

"Bella," Jared's dad said, after he'd stood up and tapped his glass with his spoon. "Ever since he was born, Laura and I have thought about the girl Jared would one day marry. Even before he brought you by the house, we knew you were someone special; there was just something different about him once he met you…" he trailed off, unable to continue. Laura picked up for him.

"A mother always wonders about the woman who will take her place in her son's life. I've heard other moms have regrets—but I don't. I don't feel like I'm losing my son—I'm gaining a daughter."

I had to wipe away a few tears as they both hugged me. Charlie and Renee were both pretty emotional, but neither said much. Renee just gave Jared a hug and told him to "take care of my girl." Charlie couldn't seem to get anything out, only a nod when Jared suggested a fishing trip sometime.

When the adults were all out of hearing range for a few minutes, Jared was officially banned from my bedroom for tonight. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Emily insisted when he tried to protest. "Besides, her mom is sure to insist on some mother-daughter bonding time tonight."

"And you ought to spend some time with your own parents, Jared," Sam advised. "I'll have one of the others keep watch at Bella's house, so you don't need to worry."

Jared held me close for as long as he could, before the rest of the pack pulled him away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, you will," I agreed, with a smile that made him dart back for one more kiss.

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I burst into a whirlwind of activity as soon as my parents and I got back to the house. The out-of-the-blue surprise the Mahan's had sprung on us: three nights and two days at Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park, about an hour south of here, had completely surprised me. I hadn't thought a honeymoon was all that necessary, but now that I was getting one, and after all the chaos we'd survived this past month, I had a feeling I was going to be very grateful for these few days of isolation and peace and quiet.

"I know you don't want a fuss, but you deserve a few days to yourselves before plunging into married life in the real world. This is our gift to you both." Jared's dad had said. I couldn't help a few tears as I hugged them both. Jared had given them hugs of his own, along with our gratitude.

The lingerie I'd been given the other day had been laundered and I upended that gift bag into my suitcase. I felt a tingle of excitement at the thought of modeling them for my new husband. My next move was to riffle through one of the boxes of clothing that was stacked along one wall of my bedroom, pulling out a mix of things I might need. I'd wait till the morning to grab my toiletries bag from the bathroom.

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"Bella? How are you feeling?" Renee came into my bedroom and settled on the end of my bed. It was odd to see my room looking so spartan; most of my stuff was already packed up in boxes, waiting to be taken to my new home. It would get moved during my brief honeymoon, and I'd been promised help in unpacking, too, once we got back.

"I'm fine, mom," I finally replied. "A little nervous, but excited and happy and who knows what else."

"You're going to be a beautiful bride, Bella, and a wonderful wife and mother."

"Thanks, mom."

"I've got a bag packed with crackers and stuff, just in case you get a little nauseous, and Emily already said she'll have some of the tea on hand."

"Sounds great, but hopefully I won't need it."

"With luck," Renee agreed. "Speaking of luck, we've got to find four things for you. Can't forget the old tradition of having something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue."

"The dress is new, so that's one thing taken care of," I started. "My engagement ring is old." It was still resting on my left hand at the moment, but would be taken off when I got to La Push tomorrow and given to Sam for safekeeping until the ceremony. I'd decided that I wanted to use it as my wedding ring, too.

"I've got some old heirloom hairpins that I thought you could use," Renee offered.

"I'm thinking of leaving most of my hair down as long as it's not too windy, but I'm going to have them pull back the hair around my face, so the pins could work. Thank you." I had fought and won on the issue of having an up-do. I hadn't seen the need to spend the time and money going to a salon to get a fancy hairstyle that wasn't me, for one thing, and that I would only use for a few hours; a few pregnancy-induced eye-shimmers hadn't hurt, either.

"So we just need something blue…" Renee's voice trailed off thoughtfully. I suddenly had an idea, one that sent me diving into the one area I hadn't touched yet: my nightstand drawer. Riffling through the contents, I found the box I was looking for, which I hadn't touched since finding it the better part of three months ago.

"I'll wear this," I decided in an instant as I dropped the box into my mom's lap. She opened it and gasped.

"Where did you get this?"

"One of the Cullen's gave it to me for my birthday, right before they moved," I replied quietly, realizing this was going to be sensitive ground for her, but not intending to waver in the slightest.

"Bella, I don't think—"

"Mom, it's a necklace. Given by a friend" _Ok, that was a stretch, sort-of, unless Alice being the one to buy it counts,_ "before she knew they were moving" _Very true_. "It's mine and I want to wear it."

"But Jared—"

"Understands that the Cullen's are part of my past, part of what made me the person that I am, the person he will be marrying tomorrow. I've been over them for a long time now, and over Edward, too. All I'm doing is acknowledging a past friendship as I move into my new future, and using a generous gift to complete a wedding tradition."

"If you're sure…"

"Yes, mom, I'm sure."

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As soon as I could, I pleaded the need to get a good night's sleep, and Renee gave me a last hug and headed off to get some sleep herself. Charlie had given up his bedroom to her during her visit and was sleeping on the couch down in the living room. Mom had offered to get a hotel room, but Charlie had insisted that there was no need, since Phil hadn't been able to come. "You'll want to spend as much time with Bella as you can. There's no need for you to book a hotel room."

But in actuality, I had no intentions of going to sleep any time soon. I was waiting for my cue that the coast was clear and that we could get going. I felt my stomach fluttering in a good way right now, thinking about the surprise I was about to spring on Jared.

The faint sound of a rock hitting my window brought my gaze around, just in time to see Jake swinging inside, exactly as he had done back in March, when he'd weaseled around Sam's injunction in order to come see me. That night had started everything—had changed my life utterly and completely. It had been Jake's 'you already know' that had sparked my memory, and had sent me charging down to La Push the next morning, straight to Jared.

"Hey, Bella," he kept his voice low, in deference to my apparently sleeping parents.

"Jake. Coast clear?"

"Yeah. Your parents are out for the count."

"He doesn't have any idea, does he?"

Jake grinned. "Nope." More seriously, he added, "Bella, this is going to mean so much to him, that you're doing this."

"That's what I want him to know," I replied.

"Hey, are you two planning to get moving, or just stay here and chat all night?" Quil's head peaked over the window ledge.

"Sure, sure," Jake scoffed. He looked me over, and, apparently satisfied that I was appropriately dressed for the outside, led me over to the window. Quil climbed inside, and Jake climbed out into the tree. "Okay, careful…"

Quil braced himself and gently picked me up and passed me out the window and down into Jake's arms. Embry was waiting on the ground, and Jake passed me down to him. My feet on the ground, I watched as Jake and Quil silently jumped down to join us. I found myself in Jake's arms again, and the three of them took off at a good clip. He was careful, though not to go too fast, "Don't want you hurling on me, Bella," he ragged; it probably helped that I kept my eyes closed, focusing instead on what I was about to do. I knew how important this was, and wanted everything to go perfectly.

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Jared POV

I'd been a bundle of nerves ever since I'd had to watch Bella leave. I was as restless now as I'd been as a kid on Christmas Eve.

"You'll see her in the morning, Jared. And every day for the rest of your lives." My dad clapped a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. He then proceeded to give me lots of advice: "Never let an argument go on too long. Sometimes walking away and coming back to the topic later can help you both. But be careful that you don't wait too long or forget-you never want her to think you're ignoring the problem.", "The little things can sometimes mean the most—not just flowers and knickknacks, but unloading the dishwasher or sweeping the floor can earn you major points." "And the big one: always put the toilet seat down!" We shared a laugh, even though I knew he was being serious.

Mom stopped in to inform me that she and her friends would be making sure our pantry, fridge, and freezer were well-stocked by the time we got back from our honeymoon. "That way you don't have to go shopping or start cooking from scratch right away, while you're also trying to get settled in. If you and Bella like the recipes just let me know and I'll pass them along."

"Thanks, mom. And thanks to both of you for the honeymoon—you didn't have to do that." Bella and I had put forth the argument that our Florida trip a month ago had been enough that it counted as a pre-wedding honeymoon, but I guessed that my parents hadn't bought it.

"It's not a big trip, or anything, but this will give you a few days where you can just focus on each other, without thinking about work or fielding visitors, or anything else." Mom was resolute on that point.

They left me alone after a while, seeing that I needed some time to myself, and also to get a good night's sleep themselves. I alternated pacing and flopping on the bed and messing with anything I hadn't packed yet. I abruptly remembered that we'd be taking a trip tomorrow, and managed to find a small bag to throw some things in that I'd need.

"Nervous?" I'd been so lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed Sam's approach to my house and my bedroom window.

"I don't know. I mean, it's not like—I don't know. It's not like I haven't felt responsible for her safety and happiness for a while now already; it's just going to be official now. The ceremony won't change how much I love her or how happy I am about the baby or—" Sam was inside my room and clapping a hand to my mouth.

"You're nervous," he decided. "Come on, let's go for a walk and see if we can get you past this."

The house was quiet, but I still almost felt like I should stay here, as if there were something wrong with sneaking out on my last night here. As if there hadn't been anything wrong with me sneaking out every night for the past almost four months.

"Come on," Sam insisted, practically lifting me up and shoving me out the window before following me.

"Jared, it's alright to be nervous," Sam advised, as we moved into the woods. "In some ways, you'd be insane _not_ to be. You're right that things aren't going to change in terms of how the pack views your relationship with Bella, but it _will_ change. Family expectations, your expectations for each other—take it from me: things do change with your imprint when you're living with her 24/7. All the little things you don't even think about could be exactly the habits that will drive her nuts—and that's not factoring in her being pregnant, like Bella is, either. And," his touch on my arm guided me in a slightly different direction than we'd been traveling, "there are the tribe's expectations."

"Sam, you know what? If you're trying to boost my confidence, you're doing a really crappy job of it."

"Maybe I can help, then." I literally jumped out of my skin. _How in the world did I not know she was here?_ Was all I could think as I stared at Bella emerging from the shadow of a tree. The clearing we'd just entered was suddenly full of the rustle of movement, which was further indication of how completely out of it I was right now. _Not sensing Bella, not sensing a dozen others—sheesh, what next?_

"Bella?" I was struggling to understand why my fiancée was standing in the woods on the reservation, when I'd been told I couldn't see her until the ceremony tomorrow. She came to stand right in front of me and interlaced her fingers with mine, pressing our palms together.

"Jared, from almost the day we met, you've kept telling me how important I am to you, and that you want me to be happy and have everything I want. What I want right now is to make sure that you understand how important _you _are to me. This is for you," she relinquished one of my hands, but kept hold of the other, using it to pull me along behind her. When we neared the middle of the clearing, I jerked to a sudden stop.

In the very center of the circle that my family—including my parents and siblings—and the pack and the elders had formed, a large pile of wood was waiting. I realized that two smaller piles of wood were also laid at the north and south ends of the circle. Torches set on poles at the four cardinal points of the clearing provided a small amount of illumination—enough for me to get a good look at Bella. She was wearing a dress made out of tanned leather dyed red and covered with black decorations and ribbons. Around her neck, just as it had been every day since I'd given it, was her pack tattoo pendant.

I knew what this had to be—I'd paid attention during the elders' lectures on our tribal ceremonies. Bella was offering me a tribal wedding. I looked down at Bella, seeing the love in her eyes. I could only begin to imagine the effort she'd put into this, on top of everything else, in the last few weeks.

"I love you," was all I could say. It wasn't enough, but she seemed to understand all that I couldn't find the words to say. Sam pulled me back then, taking me out of sight so that I could change into a pair of leather leggings. When I reemerged, Bella was waiting where I'd left her.

"You are the _qahla_ that warms me, the _pititchu_ that lights my nights. You are the _kwaiya_ that quenches my thirst, the _ti'iyahl_ with whom I will spend the rest of my life." My heart was full to overflowing listening to Bella speaking even a few words in my tribal language; I knew from experience how difficult it was to learn, and I'd had years to pick up what I knew—Bella had only had weeks.

I stroked her cheek with my finger, letting everything I was feeling fill my eyes. We turned to face the elders, and Billy began to speak.

"Jared and Bella. Tonight you come before us pledging your commitment to each other in the traditions of our tribe." He gestured toward the small woodpiles.

"Here are branches of Shore Pine. May the totems of our tribe inspire you as you carve a new life together. Here are branches of Douglas Fir. May the music of your souls be audible to all. Let the Black Cottonwood remind you to adorn one another with love and care. Use the branches of Cascara to heal one another of all hurts. Let the branches of Pacific Yew remind you to provide for one another's needs, whatever they may be. The Western Red Cedar is a symbol of the culture you have lived in, Jared, and that you, Bella, are joining. Remember this heritage well, and teach it to those who are to come. And may these branches of Willow be a token of the tribe's blessing of your union and of the children to be born through it."

As each tree had been mentioned, Bella and I had each dropped handfuls of tobacco, sage, sweet grass, sea grass, corn, and other ritual herbs onto our respective woodpiles. Sam approached me and Old Quil approached Bella; both knelt to kindle the spark to light our fires. As I watched the flames spread, I prayed silently that I would never let down or disappoint this incredible woman. I began pushing my small fire toward the larger one in the middle; I glanced over to see that Bella had clearly practiced the maneuver herself and was perfectly safe from the flames. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my cheek against her head as we watched the bonfire ignite. The other members of my tribe began to sing a song of blessing on our union and praise to our Creator.

"Thank you, Bella," I whispered.

"You're welcome," she whispered back.

"Bella?" Jacob spoke quietly. "We'd better get you back home before you're missed."

She nodded, then reached up to frame my face with her hands. "Hach awi," she told me. "I love you."

"I love you, too. You have a good night as well. I'll see you on the beach."

"Yes, you will," was her last comment before she followed Jake out of my sight. I walked home for the last time, surrounded by my family, my parents, siblings, aunts and uncles and cousins, grandparents.

"Was I the only one who didn't know this was coming?" I asked of no one in particular.

"Yep," Drew snickered.

My nerves of earlier in the evening were gone, dissipated by the ceremony just concluded. I actually felt nothing but admiration for Bella, and how she'd pulled this off with me completely in the dark. "I love that woman."

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Hope you liked this one. I really worked hard to try and make it come out the way I envisioned it. Again, deep thanks to mc7575 for a ton of research for me to pull from.

Here are translations of what Bella said during the ceremony:

Qahla = sun

Pititchu = moon

Kwaiya= water

Ti'iyahl= man


	38. I Now Pronounce You

AN: I was originally planning to have the wedding be included in the last chapter, but…there ended up being a lot more important pre-wedding stuff than I initially realized, plus my wonderful sounding board mc7575 gave me a great suggestion that I decided was a wonderful idea and that needed to come before the official wedding. Hope you liked the little tribal ritual she suggested. Anyway, here we are at the big day: Enjoy.

Oh, it'll be a while before this is a factor, but I'm interested in hearing possibilities for the baby's name (right now, gender is TBA). So if you would like to contribute suggestions, you can-either in a PM or a review reply-give me your top 3 choices for a girl or a boy name. I will look things over and probably put up a profile poll or two to determine the most popular names (of course, as the author, I reserve ultimate rights of selection to myself).

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Bella POV

As July 3rd dawned, it really seemed like luck was with me: I didn't have any morning sickness and the weather was beautiful. The sky was clear and the forecast promised a warm and sunny day. After eating some breakfast, I gave an emotional Charlie a hug, and followed Renee out to my truck for the drive down to La Push. The girls would be getting ready at Jared's place, and the guys over at Sam's.

Kim took charge of doing everyone's hair, while Leah worked on our nails. Savannah bounced around excitedly, until her mom suggested she bring out some drinks and snacks for everyone. I knew I needed to eat, but the thought of a full lunch made me close my eyes. Sue noticed.

"Try to eat a saltine, Bella. We don't want you sick, whether from eating too much or not eating enough."

"I know." I wasn't going to let my wedding day be spoiled, not by anything. Eating the crackers helped, as did the mug of tea Emily pressed me into sipping.

"Where's Rachel?" I asked, finally noticing that she wasn't here like the other imprints were.

"Don't worry," Emily reassured me. "She and Paul just had something to take care of this morning—a last minute item to pick up. They'll be back in plenty of time."

"What are they getting?" I couldn't think of anything important that we could have forgotten.

"Bella!" Kim scolded. "The whole point of a surprise is that you don't know what it is. You'll just have to wait and find out. But…I promise that it's a good surprise and you'll like it."

A tiny part of me wanted to protest—this was my day and I'd planned it carefully. But I didn't think I'd get anywhere, for one thing, and I trusted my friends not to do anything I wouldn't be okay with. I let my head drop against the back of the couch. I was very comfortable at the moment, and could feel a growing wave of lethargy. Another pregnancy symptom I was dealing with was feeling more tired than usual.

"Why don't you rest a little, sweetie?" Renee suggested, apparently having noticed the exhaustion I was trying to fight. "You've got time to catch a little nap before we need to get your hair done."

It was a great idea, so I curled up on the bed in Jared's room, which was in a similar state of emptiness to my own. But his sheets were still on the bed, and his scent still infused there lulled me to sleep. A light touch on my arm woke me about an hour later. I took care of my bathroom needs and splashed water on my face before stepping out into the hall, where Renee and Laura met me.

"Let's get you into that dress before letting the girls work on you," Laura suggested. I could feel a fluttering in my chest, thinking about putting the gown on for real this time, but I knew she was right. The emotions filling me were the same as the first time I'd put this on. I'd often been chided for not appreciating the beauty that others saw in me; today was different somehow—I _knew_ I was beautiful, even without the finishing touches. Renee carefully fastened the necklace around my neck. My mother in law—I figured I could start calling her that now—approached me with something in her hand.

"These are for you, Bella, from me." She opened her hand to reveal a pair of diamond drop earrings.

"Laura, you didn't have to…" I trailed off.

"Bella, I wanted to give my new daughter something special to wear today. I'm happy they go well with your necklace."

Careful of my gown, I leaned forward to give her a hug. "Thank you."

"You look absolutely beautiful, Bella," Renee was tearing up. She gave me an arm's length hug, careful not to disturb my gown. "My baby."

"Mom, I love you too, but if you keep that up, I'm going to start crying."

"Right. I'm alright. Let's get you out there so the girls can get to work."

I took one last look in the mirror before rejoining the others. Everyone else had obviously taken advantage of my nap to put the finishing touches on themselves. My three bridesmaids were all wearing a medium green, a little darker than what I'd worn to prom, but which suited them all perfectly. Renee and Laura looked exactly as I'd hoped in their reversed color-combination dresses.

"You all look great, too," I had to get that compliment in.

After being guided carefully to a chair in the kitchen, Kim started on my hair, while Angela took care of my makeup. "All done," they announced, with a last dash of a cosmetics brush and adjustment to a hair comb. I stood up and turned to face everyone else. A chorus of sighs and "Aww's" greeted me.

"You look like an angel," Savannah sighed again.

""You'll keep an eye on Jared, won't you, mom?" Leah teased, when I was standing in the middle of the room, with everyone around me. "He's sure to need medical attention when he catches sight of Bella."

Sue patted an oversized purse. "I've got a kit right here."

"It's time to go," Laura said. Angela bent to pick up my train and we headed for the cars. We soon reached the smaller of the two parking lots that served the beach, and which had been reserved for the members of the wedding party. I blinked in surprise to see Sam waiting for us. He greeted Emily with a kiss when she got out of her car, then came up to me. "Your chariot awaits," he said as he extended his arms.

"What?"

"I'm to get you and that gown down to the beach safely." He looked me over from head to toe. "Good thing Sue's here," he observed with amusement. I looked him over in turn. He was wearing khaki colored pants that straddled the line between fitted and loose, a white dress shirt that was just shy of being fitted, even though I was sure it was the largest size available, and a jacket that matched the pants.

"Jacket off," I commanded, repeating myself when he looked at me like I'd gone crazy. "I want to see what you look like with it off." He lost his amused expression when I had him repeat the process a few more times. I was torn, liking both looks; the jacket-on effect was more weddingish, but the jacket-off look was more evocative of the pack's usual appearance, which was to be expected since it involved fewer articles of clothing. "Definitely 'off'. You can pass the word." His response was to whip the jacket off and toss it into the van before sweeping me into his arms.

Being cradled in his arms must have been reminiscent of a night, almost a year ago now, when he had carried me out of the woods and back to my house. It was a night that had led me, in some sense, to today. When Sam left me to rejoin Jared, I asked him to pass along a brief message. "I'm wearing the birthday necklace. He'll understand."

"Alright, Bella. See you soon."

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Jared POV

I was woken up a lot earlier than I wanted to be on Saturday morning by the ringing of my phone.

"'lo?" I mumbled, trying not to wake up fully even as I pulled the phone to my ear.

"Jared, this is Phil Dwyer." Well, I was more awake now. Why was Bella's stepdad calling me all the way from Florida so early on our wedding day?

"Did I wake you up? Sorry."

"That's okay," I dismissed it. "Someone was probably going to jump on me pretty soon anyway. What's up?"

"First, congratulations."

"Thanks."

"Second, do you know of anyone who could pick me up at Sea-Tac around 11 am your time?"

"You're coming?" I felt my mouth fall open. When Bella's mom had arrived a few days ago, she'd said Phil hadn't been able to make it.

"I was able to swing things after all. I left Jacksonville before 6 am my time, and I'm in DC now. My flight to Seattle leaves here in half an hour and I'll get there just after 11. That gives enough time to get to Forks, right?"

I calculated frantically. It was about four hours to get from La Push into the part of Seattle where the international airport was located; a glance at the clock told me it was just after 6 am now, so someone could get there ok. An 11 am arrival there meant getting here about 3 pm. The wedding was set for 4 pm, so… "It ought to be, and with a little time to spare. You didn't check anything, did you?"

"No, I've just got a carry-on. The wedding's on the beach, right? Casual clothes ok?"

"Yeah, casual's fine." And it would be, for everyone but us—_we_ had to dress up.

"If no one can come get me, I can just rent a car," Phil offered. I dismissed that idea. A) it was bad manners on my part-he was about to become _my_ stepdad, too, and B) with the time constraint, it could easily become problematic having him navigate unfamiliar roads.

"I'll see what I can do about finding someone," I promised. "Check your phone when you land. Boy, Bella's gonna be so thrilled to see you."

"Couldn't miss this."

I dropped the phone somewhere and briefly considered trying to grab a little more sleep. But I abandoned that notion when I heard some muffled noises outside my bedroom window, and then saw it start to slide upward. I continued breathing slowly, like I had been, and shut my eyes, doing a pretty convincing impression of still being asleep as stealthy movements approached my bed.

I finally launched myself upward, catching a couple of bodies with my forward motion and carrying them to land on the floor next to me.

"Ow!" Embry complained.

"Crap, man," Jake moaned, 'We thought you were still asleep."

"I was, until Bella's stepdad called a few minutes ago. He's going to be able to come after all, and needs a lift from Sea-Tac at 11 if someone's free."

"Paul," Sam queried. "You up to it?"

"Can I ask Rachel to come, too?" We all chuckled, but we understood, as well. His imprint was the newest now. Besides, having her along would make the tribal adults feel better. I only hoped we wouldn't have a repeat of his last trip into the city.

"Sure." Sam grabbed him in a headlock and rubbed Paul's head with his other fist.

"Quil tossed me a pair of cut-offs. "Come on."

"Why?"

"The girls are coming here, don't you remember?" Sam reminded me. "Anyone with a y-chromosome is banished from these walls from breakfast-time on. All the guys will be at my place. So get dressed, grab your stuff, your dad and your brother, and get moving. Emily said she'd cook breakfast before she comes over here."

"Okay, I'm up." I put actions to words and pulled myself off of my pack brothers. I dragged Drew out of bed. He complained until I mentioned the amazing breakfast Emily had waiting for us, which got him moving. I left him to get dressed and then went and found my dad in the kitchen with mom. She started crying as soon as she saw me.

"You're getting married today," she wiped her eyes with the dishtowel and hugged me tightly.

"And I'm only moving down the street, and you'll see me every day at the store." But, really, I understood what she meant. The pattern of our lives for the last 18 years was changing now. I wasn't just going to be their son and my siblings' brother anymore-I was going to be Bella's husband, and Charlie's and Renee's and Phil's son-in-law. "We'll still see you all the time, anyway. I'll check with Bella about keeping up with the family dinners, too; I'm sure she'll want to."

"Jared, your mom and I want you to know how proud we are of you. You've grown up in a man we're proud to call our son."

"Thanks, dad." I moved into his open arms and he squeezed tight.

"Time to go?" he queried.

"Yeah. I just talked to Sam, and Emily's got breakfast cooking over there. Drew's getting dressed, so I think we just need to grab our stuff for today and we can head over."

"Drew, get a move on," dad called as he headed for his bedroom.

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After having failed in their attempt to wake me up, my pack brothers had returned to Sam and Emily's to wait for us—all except for Paul, who must have already left for Seattle. Dad, Drew, and I walked in to find them already diving into huge plates of pancakes, muffins, bacon, and sausages.

"Cool," Drew pronounced, already bounding forward to join Seth, Collin and Brady. I'd initially been unsure about eating, the nerves Sam had noticed last night having made a return, but Emily's breakfast worked its usual magic, and I found myself hungry after all.

When nothing but crumbs remained, Jake exclaimed, "Football!" and bolted for the door. Everyone else piled out after him. Clearly, the plan for the day was to have fun until we had to put the monkey suits on. Teams were quickly formed and a competitive game was underway. It was just the thing we all needed right now—a chance to cut loose and act like ordinary teenagers. Sam made sure that everything stayed light, "No bruises or other injuries today," he directed.

After lunch, I started to get a little restless. It seemed like time was racing and crawling at the same time. Even the call from Rachel saying that they'd picked Phil up and were on the way back failed to calm me much.

"Come on, let's go for a run," Sam told me, already pulling me out the door. We walked farther than usual into the woods before phasing—neither of us wanted to take a chance on my dad, Drew, or Charlie catching sight of us.

_Where did you find her that night, Sam?_ I asked. He knew what I meant, and silently led me through the forest. We ended up several miles away from Bella's house—her old house, now—and my heart clenched to think of her stumbling this far after him; I couldn't think that he would have taken her this far away from her house to break up with her—surely he wouldn't have.

Sam left me alone, and I sank into the depression in the ground where his memory told me Bella had been curled up when he'd found her. His presence faded away and I knew he must have phased back to give me a little privacy.

_I don't know what you were thinking,_ I mentally spoke to Edward Cullen. _I can't fathom how you could have done to her what I know you did, and maybe even more that I don't know about. I hate you for making her hurt like that. And yet, I could almost be grateful to you. Your leaving here led her to me, and I will live every day of my life being thankful for her presence in it. I love her so much, so much more than you could ever understand or echo, and I will never stop showing her that._

A part of me wasn't exactly sure why I'd felt the need to do this, but it somehow felt right. I rose and moved out of that forest hollow without looking back; he was part of the past, and Bella and I were now looking toward the future. I gave a quick yip to let Sam know he could phase back again, and we turned the run back home into something of a race.

Back at Sam's place, I could see that someone—my dad most likely—had gotten the guys started on getting ready. Drew and Jake were already in their suits, and the others were in their Sunday best, too.

"Shower," my dad told me. "Your clothes are already hanging in the bathroom."

As I stood under the spray, it was as if my nerves flowed away along with the dirt and sweat. I was marrying Bella today, in a matter of a couple of hours.

"Looking good," Embry mock-whistled when I re-entered the kitchen. Sam clapped my shoulder as he headed off to the bathroom himself.

"Shut up," I took a teasing swipe at him, deliberately missing by a wide margin. He seemed both more and less at ease now than before; more so because he now knew the truth about himself, and less so because we still didn't know what to do with that knowledge. Sam had told the other elders, but neither he nor Embry had said anything to their moms yet—at least as far as I knew.

"I have arrived," Paul announced dramatically as he appeared in the doorway. A moment later, Phil stepped up beside him. I saw Charlie start out of the corner of my eye.

"What are you doing here? Renee said you couldn't make it," he asked of the current husband of his ex-wife.

"That's what I thought," Phil agreed, "but the more I looked it over, it just felt wrong not to be here. I know I don't have the ties with her that you do, but she's still family, and I wanted to come. Jared's friend here picked me up and got me back here."

"That was really good of you," Charlie told me, and Paul too, as the reason for their simultaneous arrival finally made sense.

"It'll make Bella happy," I said simply.

"Not a problem," Paul agreed, between mouthfuls of food. "And I got to spend time with my girl, too."

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After Sam emerged from the bathroom, Phil ducked inside for a quick freshening up. Then it was time to head for the beach. Sam left me briefly to go meet the girls and pick up the ring. He was back before too long and reported that everything was almost ready. Sam's relayed message about the jackets was greeted with celebration by Jake and Drew. But my brother looked a little confused when I didn't immediately follow their lead in pulling it off.

"What's up, Jared?" he asked me. "She said we don't have to wear them."

"I know. I guess I just feel like I should." I was sure that Bella had said that and meant all of us, but it just didn't seem right for me _not_ to wear a jacket to my own wedding. "She deserves it."

"Why don't you wear the jacket for the ceremony and at least some of the pictures, and then take it off for the rest of the photos and the reception?" my dad suggested.

"Thanks, dad."

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Leah and Rachel played a mix of wedding song adaptations on their flutes while the guests arrived and were seated. The music shifted to tribal songs when Reverend Weber indicated that it was time for us to get to our places. I walked my mom down the aisle, my dad following behind us. I bent down so mom could reach my cheek to give me a kiss, then she and dad took their seats and I joined the minister at the front.

Drew and Savannah walked down first, then Jake and Angela, and finally Sam and Emily. The pairs split apart as they reached the front row of chairs, moving to either side to form a line facing the audience. I looked out over them to see family, friends, and the pack—everyone we would want to have here for us on this day.

When I saw Bella appear on her dad's arm, it really was another of those earth-shattering moments, and all the teasing about medical attention had more than a little truth to it. It was like the moment of imprinting all over again. _Nothing else_ existed in the world for me just then except for her—this beautiful, amazing, wonderful woman who I was about to marry and start a family with. It wouldn't be until later, when I saw the digital video that Phil had shot, that I would realize I'd taken a step forward at the sight of her; I certainly didn't remember Sam reaching out to grasp my shoulder and halt me, or the muffled laughter from our guests; all I saw or knew was Bella.

Charlie and Bella stopped when they'd gotten up to me. He managed to answer Reverend Weber's question about who gave Bella away and hugged her tightly. I was surprised when he moved a step over toward me then. "Take good care of my little girl," he whispered.

"I will," I whispered back.

Before moving to the seat waiting for him, Charlie grasped my forearm. "Welcome to the family…son," he said, quietly. All I could do was nod. Then he was gone from sight, and it was just Bella and I. She looked so amazing and gorgeous, that before I knew it, my arms were around her and my lips on hers.

"Ahem," Reverend Weber interrupted us, although he had a smile on his face as he did so. "That part is supposed to wait until the end, young man."

"Sorry," I grinned, completely unrepentant. "Couldn't help it."

"Quite understandable, but shall we do things in the proper order?"

I glanced sidelong over at Bella. She was slightly flushed, but didn't look as if she'd minded, either. "Sure."

"To all family and friends, welcome. We are gathered here today to stand as witnesses to the marriage vows of Jared Christopher Mahan and Isabella Marie Swan. Jared?"

I took Bella's hands in mine, feeling the thrill I always did when I touched her.

"Bella, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife. Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you, with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life." I gazed intently into her eyes as I spoke, the rest of the world disappearing into a hazy background mist. I meant every word with all my heart—well, except for the part about Bella having flaws, since in my opinion she was perfect. I let go with my left hand and extended it back to Sam, who placed Bella's engagement ring onto my palm. I brought it up to the tip of her ring finger, and as I slid it down to its eternal home, told her "With this ring, I marry you, and commit myself to you today, tomorrow, and forever. Just as a circle never ends, so my love will always remain."

"Bella?" Reverend Weber prompted.

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Bella POV

I managed to blink back the tears that had started to rise with Jared's words. I took a deep breath and looked up at him, hoping that my eyes were truly a window to my soul right now.

"Jared, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband. Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you, with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life." It was somehow more momentous and real, I guess, saying those words aloud, even though we'd both been doing most of them for months now. Yet any reservations I might have once held about this institution had long since vanished. Now, it was Jared and I and our whole future together.

Emily placed the ring Sue had made into the hand that I reached back to her. It was a simple ring, yellow-gold and wide, and so representative of him. "With this ring, I marry you, and commit myself to you today, tomorrow, and forever. Just as a circle ends, so my love will always remain." I slid the band down his finger until it rested at the base.

We brought our free hands back up until they were clasped again, and looked back at Reverend Weber. I expected him to say the traditional ending then, but instead he looked up. When Paul and Embry stood and moved to either side of Billy, I remembered that we were including a little tribal element here, too. They stepped back to their places once Billy's wheelchair was placed next to the minister.

"Jared and Bella," he began. "Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth."

Jared's grip on my fingers relayed that he was just as moved by Billy's blessing as I was.

Reverend Weber spoke next. "By the authority granted to me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride," his tone was faintly amused with this last bit. Jared took him at his word, one arm snaking around my waist as the other cradled the back on my neck under my hair. His lips claimed mine and his tongue dipped inside my mouth. I wouldn't remember my arms coming up to circle his neck. Only the need to breathe caused us to separate. Our audience was clearly amused, but I refused to feel embarrassed about kissing my husband.

Jared kept his arm around my waist as we faced our guests. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Angela's father addressed everyone, "may I introduce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Jared Mahan.

I wasn't originally planning to stop this here, but we're at a good length and I thought you'd enjoy a new chapter a little sooner. The next chapter will cover the rest of the day before they leave. Billy's words are an Apache blessing, but I liked them. The other vows are civil ones I found online.

I've added more links to my profile page: bridesmaid dress, moms' dress, and guys' outfit.

I can now officially start counting down to all of next week's releases: Eclipse score soundtrack, Eclipse movie companion, and of course, Eclipse itself. I'll be one of the crazy people seeing the movie at midnight and then going to work later that morning.


	39. Celebrate!

AN: I'm so happy that everyone seems to have enjoyed the wedding. It was a lot of fun for me (thanks to my researcher mc7575) to come up with the different things to include.

Baby name suggestions are still being accepted. If you haven't already sent them, I'd love to hear your ideas (3 each for boy/girl; and first/middle combinations are fine to send).

Sorry for the delay in getting this out. I've had some life issues come up recently, and simply didn't have the motivation to write for a few days.

Bella POV

I felt a smile spread over my face when we were officially announced as "Mr. and Mrs. Jared Mahan" for the first time. I was no longer Bella Swan, but Bella Mahan. Everyone applauded and there were more than a few wolf-whistles from members of the pack. I looked toward my parents and almost fell over. Not because Renee had an arm around Charlie, but because Phil was standing on the other side of her. _How did he get here? And when?_ I leaned toward Jared. "Phil?"

"He called me this morning, already on the way west. Paul and Rachel picked him up at the airport and got him back here a bit over an hour ago." Jared leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"They did?" I barely felt Jared beginning to guide me down the aisle. I caught Paul's eye as we walked past and mouthed "Thank you."

The guests started heading back up to the community building, but our attendants and families stayed on the beach: we had photos to take.

My new mom was very efficient at calling for different groupings of family and attendants. It was when I was posing with my bridesmaids that I glanced over and saw Jared standing with his mouth hanging open. As soon as his mom lowered her camera, he was at my side, a faintly trembling hand reaching out to touch my bouquet.

"Black-eyed Susan's?" he asked softly. I nodded.

"Of course," I answered. "These were the first flowers you gave me."

"How romantic," Angela sighed.

When we'd had pictures taken in all the combinations everyone could think of, Jared drew me aside for a moment alone before we headed up to our reception.

"I love you so much, Bella. Bella Mahan," Jared told me, pulling me close to him so that his arms could wrap around me.

"I like hearing that," I admitted. "Not quite as much as saying _I_ love _you_, but close_._"

We stood there for a few minute, just holding one another, watching the waves of water approach and retreat, and listening to the sound of the birds.

"Better hurry up if you want any of the food!" Jake called, bringing us back to reality.

"Sure, sure," Jared tossed Jake's habitual phrase back at him. He took my hand and we started back to join the others. The flash of a camera made me blink.

"You just look so perfect—I couldn't resist one more." Laura admitted.

I was just starting to wonder how I was going to make it up the path, when the question was rendered academic. With no warning at all, Jared swept me up into his arms.

"Aren't you supposed to wait for the threshold?" I gasped as soon as I had enough breath to do so.

"Oh, I will," he promised, and my breath hitched again.

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Jared POV

It seemed like I was weathering one shock after another today, and all of them the best kinds. First seeing Bella coming toward me, and then finally noticing what flowers were in her bouquet. _I love this woman,_ was all I could think.

As we walked into the community center, I was hard-pressed to keep my reactions in check when Paul, who was manning the DJ booth, introduced Bella and I. I wanted to shout my jubilation from the roof, to throw back my head and howl. But I wanted everything to keep being perfect for Bella, so I didn't do it.

We were ushered right to the buffet line and got first crack at the food, Jake's teasing aside. Unlike every other wedding I remembered, we were given plenty of time to eat without being interrupted; everyone was very considerate, and if they hadn't been, I would have insisted on it for Bella's sake.

Sam stood up from his place beside me, garnering instant silence and attention.

"I've known Jared—of him—for quite a long time, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that we became friends," he began. "Jared is someone who can be counted on, a man of his word. A bit of a jokester, but one who will never take things too far. I have no doubts that he will become a valued member of the tribe, and an exemplary husband and father." He turned to Bella then. "Bella, I haven't known you very long, but you have nonetheless become just as valued of a friend to me. You have—in only a few months—made Jared's life so happy and full. You are everything I could have wished for my friend to find. Oh, and if he doesn't measure up to the promise I just made on his behalf, just let me know and I'll have a talk with him." Everyone started laughing and clapping, and Sam threw us a grin as he took his seat.

Emily was next. "Bella, I can only start by echoing Sam: you have become a very dear friend of mine—and not just because you help me feed this pack of teenagers." More laughter. ""You've thrown Jared for a loop from the very beginning, and I've watched him prove in so many ways that he deserves you. Jared, don't you ever stop treating her like a queen. Keep on like you have been and you'll be fine."

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People did start circulating after a while. My Mahan grandfather, Thomas, teased me by saying that I was far luckier in my bride than I deserved.

"I've always known that, Grandfather," I confided.

"I'm the lucky one," Bella said softly.

I couldn't resist bringing her up against me yet again. It seemed like I constantly wanted to touch her, as if I had to make sure that I wasn't dreaming. We were really here, and Bella was really my wife now. _My wife!_ It was a little surprising to me how those words made me feel—so many different emotions that I couldn't even begin to describe. She'd been my imprint for nearly four months now, yet it was different now. We were bound to each other more strongly than ever before, a family now.

A tap on my shoulder had me turning to see Sam standing just behind me. "Paul's getting the dancing music ready."

I brushed my hand along Bella's side to get her attention. "Are you ready?"

She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I knew that being the center of attention was never her favorite thing, but I was determined to make this as enjoyable as possible.

"I'm ready," she informed me. "I'll try not to step on your feet or anything."

"Love, you did just fine at prom; we'll be fine here, too." I gave a nod to Paul as Bella and I headed for the open area at the center of the room. As we stopped and faced each other, the opening notes of Muse's "I Belong to You" wafted from the speakers. Bella stepped closer to me, and our arms wrapped around each other at the same moment, and we began to slowly dance.

_How much pain has quaked your soul?  
How much love would make you whole?  
You're my guiding lightning strike_

I can't find the words to say,  
They're overdue,  
I've traveled half the world to say,  
I belong to you 

When the song ended, I reluctantly let her go when her dad tapped me on my shoulder. I moved to the side, and watched them sway while standing almost in one spot as "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle played. Both gratefully vacated the dance floor at the end of the song, and my mom and I then danced to Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me."

Figuring that Bella had had enough of being the sole center of attention, I took her hand and we approached her mom and stepdad.

"Gotta have a dance with my new mom," I told Renee with a wink, tugging her onto the dance floor, as Phil did the same with Bella. After that, I returned to my mom, while my dad claimed Bella. We took a break after that, and let all of our guests hit the dance floor. We didn't end up getting to sit for too long. Everyone in the pack wanted to dance with Bella, and Leah even insisted on a dance with me.

"I am happy for the two of you," she told me.

"Thanks. It'll come for you, too, Leah. Bella's right about that. You just have to keep your eyes open." We both shared sly smiles at my tongue-in-cheek quip about imprinting.

When Jake claimed his turn with Bella, I figured I ought to help him out and asked Savannah to dance.

"I've never danced with a married woman before," Jake teased Bella.

"Are you happy?" my sister asked me.

"Yeah," I admitted. "Part of me wants to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, but the rest of me is so happy I almost can't stand it. Hey!" I reacted instantly to the pinch she delivered to my arm.

Savannah grinned impishly at me. "You _did_ ask for it."

"Jake," I said, as he and Bella swirled close to us. "Give me my wife, and you try to deal with this one," and before anyone could say anything, I effected the switch in partners.

"What was that all about?" Bella inquired, once we'd danced a bit farther away.

"She pinched me!" My wife gave me an indulgent smile.

"There, there," she cooed.

"Ha ha."

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Jake POV

"What did you do to him?" I asked Savannah as I started to dance her around the room.

"My big brother said he wanted to pinch himself, so I just decided to give him a hand." I had to chuckle at that.

"Good girl," I complimented.

"Does it feel funny, having your friends get married?" she wanted to know.

"Sort-of," I had to admit. "Does it feel funny having your brother get married?" I asked back at her.

"Sort-of" she echoed. "It's going to be weird not having him at home anymore."

"'Vanah, he's been spending almost all his time with Bella anyway, hasn't he?" Which was truer than she'd be finding out about for quite a while. I was relieved when she didn't seem to mind the nickname I'd spontaneously given her.

"I guess, but he's moving out."

"I know you'll miss him," I told her, as I moved us effortlessly through the next song. "But he'll still be around, and Bells will make sure he doesn't ignore you or Drew. And if you need me to, I'll be happy to help remind him."

"Thanks," she told me, as the song ended and we stopped moving. She hesitated a moment, then, quickly, she stepped closer and gave me a quick hug, before turning and slipping away.

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Bella POV

"Cake, cake," some of the kids started chanting.

Laura led us over to the dessert table and handed a large knife to me. Jared's hand covered mine on the handle as we made the slices. We each picked up a small bite to feed to each other. He very carefully slid the piece into my mouth, obviously intent on not messing up my makeup. Me on the other hand…I dropped the piece of cake I'd been holding, and instead grabbed another bit that was mostly icing. Before he could figure out what I was planning to do, I smeared it across his mouth, to the accompaniment of uproarious laughter. My new husband stared at me a moment in disbelief before pulling me against him and bending to give me a sugary kiss. I could only hope that someone had gotten a good shot of his face first.

Once our faces were cleaned off—courtesy of a towel that Sue handed us—we set to work cutting pieces of cake for everyone. A small thing, but a way for us to share with everyone our gratitude for all their help and support.

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Jared POV

"Why do I have the sensation that I should be looking up for a falling sandbag?" I commented to Sam, when we had a moment alone.

"You just got married," he replied. "Some people might view that as a sandbag, I guess."

I shook my head. "That's not what I meant—and I don't view it that way, anyway. We've got the whole pack here, a semi-formal event, and nothing's happened. No pranks, no jokes, nothing."

"And you're complaining why, exactly?" Sam's eyes reflected his amusement.

"I'm not complaining—stop trying to put words in my mouth. I just want to know what they're going to try and pull to make up for all this good behavior." It was impossible for me to believe that _someone_ wasn't going to try _something._

"You owe me one," he chuckled.

"I do?" My brows lifted incredulously.

"I laid down the law earlier. Nothing disruptive, harmful, or embarrassment-causing is allowed. It didn't take much from me, though. To be honest, I think most of them were more worried about your bride's reaction than about ours, if they tried anything."

"Thanks," I told my Alpha.

Any further discussion between us was interrupted by a new song pumping though the speakers at a much louder volume than the previous one. The volume was sufficient to cover my involuntary groan.

"Get going," Sam advised. "Don't keep your lady waiting."

By the time I got moving, Bella had already been led out to the middle of the dance floor and seated in a chair. To the words of Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes", I knelt down in front of Bella, looking only at her as my hands blindly sought the garter circling her leg.

_I've got hungry eyes  
One look at you and I can't disguise  
I've got hungry eyes  
I feel the magic between you and I  
I've got hungry eyes  
Now I've got you in my sights  
With those hungry eyes_

I kept things pretty tame, knowing that now was not the time, especially not with the audience we had surrounding us. Holding it like a slingshot, I made a show of things as I stood up, pointing the garter at one guy after another. In a blinding movement, I shot it straight at Sam's chest; he caught it reflexively, to a chorus of catcalls.

"Okay, ladies," Paul spoke into the microphone. "Bella, the new Mrs. Mahan, will be tossing her bouquet, so gather round."

I saw someone hand Bella a different bouquet than the one she'd carried for the ceremony. She turned her back to the waiting females, did what seemed like a 1-2-3, and then tossed the bouquet over her head. It sailed through the air. Even with my exceptional eyesight, I almost missed how the imprinted girls and Leah maneuvered things so that Emily ended up catching the bouquet. The smug look Bella cast back over her shoulder showed she'd been involved in the conspiracy, too.

I pulled Bella into my arms for one last dance, only Sam and Emily joining us on the dance floor. We just swayed back and forth, wrapped in each other's arms. I rested my cheek against the top of her head, breathing in the strawberry scent of her shampoo and whatever perfume she was wearing today. I didn't even notice that the music had stopped until someone dared to try tugging Bella out of my embrace. I opened my eyes to see that our families were surrounding us, looking very amused.

"The fireworks will be starting soon," my mom informed us. "You'll want to get changed before we head outside. Bella, would you like some help getting out of your gown?"

"Please."

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Bella POV

Renee, Laura, and Emily helped me out of my gown. Laura promised to take it to the drycleaner to be cleaned and wrapped while I was gone. "Thank you again for this trip," I told her.

"You're welcome. Enjoy this chance to have time for just the two of you."

Now dressed in capri pants and a sleeveless top, I headed outside to find Jared and the rest of the pack waiting. His arm snaked around my waist as we walked back toward the cliffs to view the fireworks. As with the first evening I'd spent down here at the reservation with him, I wasn't catching much of what was going on. Jared's nuzzling of my neck was distracting me from the display overhead. I wasn't really upset though. For one thing, I probably deserved my turn at being teased, given how I'd done the same thing to him that night at the concert. For another, I loved being the recipient of that kind of attention from him. We didn't take things any further, knowing we would have plenty of time for that later.

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Even people who hadn't attended the wedding or reception stuck around after the fireworks to see Jared and I off on our honeymoon. We exchanged a glance and a mutual eye-roll to see the collection of shredded shoes tied to the rear bumper. _I guess they finally found a use for all those ruined shoes of theirs,_ I thought. It looked like some kind of paint or something had been used to draw on the windows, but the light wasn't bright enough for me to read them now. An assortment of ribbons and bows had been tied the entire length of the radio antenna. There were lots of hugs from our families, a few tears quickly swiped away, and lots of back-slapping (for Jared) and enthusiastic hugs (for me) from the members of the pack.

"Bye!"

"Love you!"

"Drive safe!"

"Whew!" Jared sighed, once the car was moving and we were out of sight of La Push.

"Yeah," I copied him.

He reached over to intertwine his fingers with mine. "I love you, Bella Mahan."

"And I love you, Jared Mahan."

I reached out with my free hand to tap the power button for the car's stereo, and the CD I'd asked Drew to put into the dash earlier this evening started to play. I'd asked Ben's help in burning a disc of music, a mix of Muse songs, romantic movie tunes, and other love songs. We mostly listened in silence, as Jared guided the car down the 101 south to the lodge where we'd be saying. I did sing along quietly to "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera.

_I wanna thank you for giving me time to breathe  
Like a rock you waited so patiently  
While I got it together  
While I figured it out  
I only looked but I never touched  
'Cause in my heart was a picture of us  
Holding hands, making plans and it's lucky for me you understand_

What a girl wants  
What a girl needs  
Whatever makes me happy sets you free  
And I'm thanking you for knowing exactly  
What a girl wants  
What a girl needs  
Whatever keeps me in your arms  
And I'm thanking you for giving it to me

What I want is what you got  
And what you got is what I want

There was a time I was blind  
I was so confused  
Run away just to hide it all from you  
But baby you knew me better, than I knew myself  
They say if you love something let it go  
If it comes back it's yours  
That's how you know  
It's for keeps, yeah, it's for sure  
And you're ready and willin'  
To give me more than  
What a girl wants

"Always, Bella," Jared told me. "Whatever you need, or want; if I can give it or get it for you, it's yours."

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I must have dozed off during the drive, lulled to sleep by the music. I woke up when Jared stopped the car at the lodge's office.

"I'll be right back; I'm just going to check us in," he said quietly, leaning over to press a kiss to my forehead. He was as good as his word, and we drove on for a few minutes before pulling up in front of a small cabin. He quickly circled the car to open my door and help me out.

"Now, I think something was mentioned earlier about thresholds." He swept me up into his arms, and in only a few strides we were inside the cabin. It was small, but cozy, with a living room, eating area and kitchen taking up most of the space, and a bedroom and bathroom toward the back.

"I'll go grab the bags out of the trunk, okay?"

"Sure."

He was back in a minute and handed me my bag. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"No, I don't want anything to eat or drink," I informed him. "I'd actually like something else." I could almost swear that I heard him gulp. "I'll just freshen up, if that's alright?"

"Sure," he managed. "I'll just…go…lock the car."

I moved swiftly to take care of my most pressing need, then washed my face. I briefly debated on what to wear, before selecting a reddish-purple number made of mostly see-through lace. Slipping out of the bathroom, I entered the bedroom and lit a few of the candles scattered around the room. I put the CD in the small sound system and turned it on. I had only just stretched out on the bed when I heard Jared's footsteps approaching the door.

"Hac'h wisatsu'upat," he breathed.

Everything I had felt our first time was doubled and trebled now. Each touch was feather-light and reverent, every whisper and sigh was soft and loving. What swelled between us was the same and yet different to the whirlwind of before. It was deeper, richer, not as uncontrolled, yet equally powerful.

"Nayeli," Jared whispered. "I love you."

"Nayeli," I whispered back.

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Again, sorry for the delay, and I hope you enjoyed this one.

Some of the songs I was thinking of during this chapter that weren't specifically mentioned were: All for Love, Everything I Do, I Could Not Ask for More, From This Moment On, I will be Here, Have I Told You Lately, You Raise Me Up, I Hope You Dance, Lean on Me.


	40. Honeymoon

AN: Thanks for all the reviews for the reception, and for the good wishes sent my way. I've now passed the 900 review mark for this story-you all are amazing. I'm considering an offer to the provider of the 1000th review: a short one-shot of a nature to be determined (possibly a behind the scenes look at something that's already happened in the story, something that wasn't covered, or maybe just maybe an extra advance tease). So keep the reviews coming, and this special treat might end up in your inbox.

I've put up a gender poll on my profile page, and will do a baby name poll, for whichever gender the baby will be, sometime soon. Name suggestions still being accepted if you haven't already shared your ideas.

srose: thanks for the suggestions and I will add them to the list.

obsession-iz-the-best-thing: thanks for your name suggestions; they'll go on the list.

Hot Russian Expert: Welcome to the story. Thanks for those reviews, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

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Forewarning that this chapter may be a little disjointed, with various snippets in different POV's.

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Paul POV

I'd swung by the Black's house before 7 am. I'd felt a thrill when Sam had asked if I'd be up for a run into Seattle to pick up Bella's stepdad, and when we'd left Jared's place after waking him up, I'd run home for my car, barely remembering to call Rachel's place before heading over.

"Billy? It's Paul. Is Rachel awake yet?"

"Hang on, Paul. I think I heard her a few minutes ago." I heard the phone get set down, and the faint squeak of his wheelchair wheels on the floor faded as he moved away from the receiver. A couple of minutes later, I heard the phone get picked up again.

"Hello?"

"Rachel, this is Paul. I know its last minute, but are you free this morning?"

There was silence for a moment. "I was planning to help out with any final wedding preparations," she said. "What else did you have in mind?"

"Bella's stepdad just called Jared, and he's coming to the wedding after all. He'll be at Sea-Tac at about 11 and needs someone to pick him up. Sam asked if we'd be able to help out."

"Will we make it back in time? Leah and I are playing our flutes in the wedding."

"We should have about an hour to spare. Will that be enough time for you to get ready?" I held my breath; I really wanted her to be able to come, so we could spend this time together.

"You're lucky I just got done with my shower," she finally answered. "I'll bring what I'll need to have to get ready, that way I won't have to stop back here before the ceremony."

"Good idea. I'll grab my stuff too and be right over."

"I'll be waiting."

My imprint and I had a good time on the drive in. A lot like Jared and Bella had, we were taking things pretty slow. I knew the whole imprint-thing had to have thrown Rachel for a loop. I was dealing with it, too. It was odd to think how much I'd changed just in the short time since meeting her. I guess I couldn't blame the guys for noticing and for letting me know it. Bella's words about "what goes around comes around" were pretty true; I'd teased everyone else enough about changing for their imprints, and here I was doing exactly the same thing.

"Have I totally screwed your life up?" I asked Rachel, hoping for an answer, yet dreading what it might be.

"What?" I'd clearly shocked her with that.

"I know that coming back here was the last thing you wanted, and here I've gone and tied you here. I hate that I've hurt you like this."

"Paul, I can't argue that I've had a lot to work through lately. And you're right that coming back to La Push long-term wasn't what I'd originally envisioned for my life. But people can change; we can find new dreams. I've been a part of this tribe all my life, yet I'm only now discovering how little I really knew. I know that imprinting can create complications as well as blessings, but I'm not saying 'no' to it. I _do_ think that we need time to figure things out. But I _want_ to try and figure them out."

I sighed in relief, and reached my free hand over to take the one she'd shyly opened up for me. "Whatever you need, whatever you want, please, let me know. We can take things as slowly as you need to—that's what Jared did with Bella."

She made some kind of choked sound, and I took my eyes off the road long enough for a quick glance over at her; she was fighting not to laugh.

"Right," she managed to get the word out. "Total strangers to married expectant parents in four months—that's definitely taking things slowly!" It took me a minute to process that, and when I did, I couldn't help laughing along with her. She had a point—to anyone outside the pack, they'd moved through the stages of their relationship at a speed that eclipsed 'fast'.

"Okay, I get what you mean," I answered, once I had breath enough. "And you're right. But remember that I've shared his mind, so I know that Jared really did take things slowly in the beginning. He knew she had some trust issues to work through, and he really worked hard to take things at the speed she needed. I don't know all the details—thank goodness—but I _do_ know that nothing happened between them that she didn't want or wasn't ready for."

We made it to the airport right on time, and saw on the monitor that the flight we were waiting for had just landed. I wracked my brain to try and remember what Bella's stepdad even looked like—I'd only met him the one time, at the graduation party. Apparently though, Rachel and I's native look was distinctive enough that he picked us out easily; that, and the photo it turned out Jared had emailed to his phone.

We had to stop for gas before leaving the city, and the first lungful of air I took in had me instantly on edge. Something about my body language must have caught Rachel's attention, because she got out of the car and shut the door behind her.

"What is it?"

"Bloodsucker," I kept my voice low, not wanting anyone else to hear.

"Here?" her eyes darted around nervously.

I breathed deeply again, calling on all my senses and instincts. "No. Not too close…but there was more than one. Damn it. That one back in May wasn't an isolated thing after all."

"May?"

"Bella and Jared were here for a concert; I shadowed them as backup—Sam's idea. We caught scent of one and he followed us out of town. Jared and Embry took him down. Now there's more."

"Are you going to do anything?"

"We've got other priorities today, and all the time really. We can't operate in the city, and this isn't our land, anyway. We can't protect everyone and every place, no matter how much we might want to. All I can do is get home and tell Sam." I wished I could tell Sam now, but there was too much chance of being overheard, plus we didn't have time, if we expected to get back before the wedding started less than five hours from now.

The trip home had gone smoothly, with no hints of being followed this time. Phil and I had talked sports, and Rachel had talked about her enjoyment of getting to know Bella again, as they'd known one another somewhat as kids. I dropped Rachel off at the community center so she could get ready, and took Phil and myself over to Sam's. We had just enough time to get cleaned up before it was time to head over to the beach.

I seized the opportunity to grab Jake and Embry and push them in the direction of Sam's car. Other than Jared, we were the most experienced wolves in the pack, the ones best able to decide what to do with my new information.

"I can't help thinking there's got to be a connection, somehow. Doesn't seem possible that these leeches _aren't_ somehow connected to that other one. But I don't see what we can do about it either," I finished up my report. "We've got too much to do as it is, right here."

"I know," Sam agreed.

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Sam POV

I hugged Emily close to me as we watched Jared and Bella drive away.

"That was a beautiful wedding," she sighed, lifting the bouquet she was holding to take another sniff.

"Do you get the feeling they planned that?" I asked, referring to her catch of Bella's bouquet and mine of the garter.

"I'm sure they did," my fiancée laughed. "Are you complaining?"

"No," I spun her around to face me, bringing my hands up to cradle her face. "We'll just have to think of some special way to 'thank' them."

Emily reached up to kiss me. "You do that. I'm going to see if they need any help getting things cleaned up. I'll try not to take too long."

"Take as long as you need." I assured her; I had some things to take care of anyway.

"Paul!" I called him over. "So what didn't you share before?" The rest of the pack gathered around us, and I took a quick survey of our surroundings before drawing everyone into the concealment of the forest. As dark as it was, we likely wouldn't have been noticed, but there was no sense in taking chances.

Paul took a deep breath, closing his eyes to better focus

"Didn't notice anything on the way in…"

"Okay," I said when he was done, taking a deep breath as I did so. "I wish there was something we could do, but Paul is right: we have responsibilities here that have to take priority. One of those priorities, at least for the next few days, is expanding the southern patrol loop. Jared will be watchful, as well he should, but he'll need help."

"What do you need us to do, Sam?" Leah asked.

"We'll run sweeps past the lodge just to see if there are any strange scents. If there are, call in the rest of the pack and alert Jared. If there's no sign of anything, there'll be nothing to do. We're not going to get in their way," I emphasized, "and we can't be seen by anyone else. Scent-checks only."

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Jared POV

I lay awake, listening to the sounds of the insects chirping outside and of Bella breathing beside me, curled in the protective embrace of my body. I wondered if it was a girl/guy thing, how she could so easily fall asleep after we made love, yet I was always wide awake. But my thoughts right now were in no way conducive to falling asleep anyway.

It had to have been that I was so distracted by everything that had been going on today-I just couldn't see how else I could have missed what was going on between Sam and Paul earlier. Now, I was wondering what this would mean for me, for my wife, and for our child.

(flashback)

_Sam caught me while I was making sure that everything was squared away in the car. The bags were placed in the trunk, and a small cooler with snacks and drinks for Bella was resting on the back seat._

"Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know that we'll be adding a sweep down to the resort to the patrol list while you're gone. Not too close in-don't worry about your privacy or anything-just close enough to make sure no one's around who shouldn't be.

I swung around to face him, only with the greatest effort managing to keep my face from showing anything to anyone who might be watching. "What's going on?" I hissed under my breath.

"Paul caught some scents while he and Rachel were driving through Seattle to pick up Bella's stepdad this morning. Didn't see anything, but he said he smelled a couple of different leeches-no one he said we'd come across before. He didn't sense anything else outside the city, but we aren't going to take any chances," Sam promised.  
  
(end flashback)

This was the second time in as many months that the words _Seattle_ and _leeches_ had been used in the same sentence. I was now really starting to wonder what might be going on there, and what we might have to do about it. It was looking less likely now that the vampire who'd followed us out of Seattle two months ago had been a random thing-not that we'd ever really thought it had been, but there had been that small chance.

"Love you," I whispered again. I breathed deeply of Bella's scent and gradually felt myself drift toward sleep.

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I roused to the sensation of something crawling on my forehead. I twitched and the bug was gone. A moment later, it landed again on my neck. Another twitch and it was on my shoulder. Starting to feel a bit annoyed, I cracked my eyes open, intent on dispatching that bug. What met my gaze was the mirth-filled expression of my bride.

"Ha'ch chi'i," Bella greeted me, before dipping down to trace her tongue over my lips, then the inside of my mouth.

"Good morning to you as well, love," I replied, gently tugging her down next to me and then rolling over and raising up on my arms to look down at her. "Ayasochid?"

"I'm good. I've had some crackers already and feel okay so far."

"Then, what should we do today? We could take a beach bus tour this afternoon, walk along the beach, sit and watch the wildlife…"

"I have something else in mind," her voice was husky.

"Bella…"

"Ha'chli, Jared. This is our time, and I'm not going to waste a moment of it." Bella reached up, her hand sliding around my neck to bring me closer to her. When she put it that way…the lodge's activities could wait.

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Bella POV

Jared surprised me when I got done with my bath by having a light lunch ready for us. I wanted us to take Laura's advice and spend time alone, so we took a slow walk along the beach, stopping to sit and watch the waves. Today was as warm and sunny as yesterday had been, so I relished the chance to just bask in the heat surrounding me. Eyes closed as I leaned back against Jared's chest, I drifted on the sound of the waves and of Jared murmuring in my ear. "Nayeli, ha'ch Bella." Returning to the cabin once the sun began to set, Jared insisted I stretch out on the sofa while he cooked dinner.

"You don't have to cook dinner, too," I tried to protest.

"Let me pamper you tonight."

I could only smile, and shake my head a little when he wasn't looking. He made it sound like pampering me was something he did only rarely, when instead it was what he did all the time. I didn't know how I'd gotten so lucky, but I was so thankful that I'd found him, or rather been found _by_ him.

"Beautiful," he commented later that evening, as we sat on the cabin's balcony and watched the sunset.

"It's amazing how different a sunset can look, just based on where you are. Here, Phoenix, Florida…it's different everywhere.

"Yes, the sunset is amazing, but _you_ are the beautiful one." His eyes caressed me and his hands began to follow suit. The remainder of the sunset was quickly forgotten.

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I woke Monday morning to the return of a most unpleasant reality of my life lately: morning sickness. I bolted from the bed, fortunately making it to the toilet in time to empty the contents of my stomach into the bowl rather than onto the floor. I knew I'd been lucky to have two days in a row where my nausea hadn't made an appearance, but I had really been hoping for three. This was a rotten way to start the last day of my honeymoon.

"Oh, Bella," I twisted slightly to see that Jared was standing in the bathroom doorway. "It kills me that you have to go through this." He came closer and picked up a washcloth from the towel rack. Soaking it with cool water and ringing it out, he sat down on the floor beside me, lifted me onto his lap, and laid the washcloth against my forehead. I relaxed against him with a sigh; this scene was so reminiscent of the one almost exactly a month ago, when I'd first thrown up, the day we'd gotten engaged.

"It's not my favorite part of being pregnant, either," I confessed. "I'm just hoping Sue was right and that it doesn't last forever."

We sat there for a while, despite how uncomfortable this position had to be for Jared. Finally, he pressed first his lips and then his cheek to the top of my head. "Can I get you anything?"

"Some juice and crackers?" I asked. "I think I'll run a bath and try to relax."

"Sure." He lifted me gently off his lap and set me to one side. After getting to his feet, he started running the water, then turned back to help me stand up. "Feel okay?"

"Yeah."

In short order I was ensconced in the large soaking tub, surrounded by fragrant bubbles and with some crackers and Sprite at hand. I was quickly feeling better and was determined to enjoy our last full day here. A tap on the bathroom door brought me up from my slouched soaking position with a splash of water.

"Yes?"

"Are you ready to get out? I can start breakfast if you are."

I felt a wicked smile appear on my lips. "Are you ready to get in?" I shot back. Breakfast, in my opinion, could wait.

The opening of the door created a draft that chilled my skin, but I didn't move. I met Jared's eyes as he stood there staring at me. Awestruck as I always was at the sight of him, I just held out one hand to him.

"Bella, you should be relaxing," Jared, despite his attempt at a noble protest, still hadn't taken his eyes off me.

"We will," I promised.

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We did finally emerge from our cabin to start taking advantage of some of the lodge's offerings. We took the bus tour of the beaches. While I enjoyed seeing the scenery, it was spending this time with Jared, seeing more of this land that meant so much to him, that meant the most to me.

That evening, Jared took me up to the main lodge to eat dinner at the restaurant. "See, neither of us has to cook tonight," he quipped. He asked for the best table, telling the hostess, "My bride deserves it." While we were looking over the menus, we were approached by the manager.

"Pardon the interruption, but I've been informed that you are newlyweds?"

"That's right," Jared confirmed. "We were just married on Saturday."

"We are very honored that you chose to spend your honeymoon here. Will you be staying long?"

"We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"May I offer you a complimentary bottle of wine or desserts?"

"We'll pass on the wine, but I think my wife would enjoy something chocolate if you have it," Jared looked at me in confirmation. I nodded. "Please."

The manager ended up doing that and more, telling us when the desserts were delivered that our entire meal was complimentary on behalf of the lodge staff, in congratulations.

"Thank you," I managed to tell him through my shock. Jared echoed my thanks.

"We hope you will come back and see us again."

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Jared POV

It was with reluctance that I shut the cabin's door on Tuesday morning, and took Bella's hand to walk to the car. We were heading back to the real world today, and we were both sad to leave this magical place.

"We really owe my parents for this," I told her.

"We'll have to think of something special to do for them to say 'thank you'," Bella agreed.

I gave my parents a call before we got onto the highway. "We'll get the fresh foods put into the fridge for you," my mom told me. "The freezer's already full."

"Thanks mom, for everything."

I decided to check in with Sam, too. "We're heading back. See anything?" I didn't figure they had, since no one had called or howled, but I wanted to check all the same.

"Nothing. No sign of anything anywhere close."

"Good."

"Would you mind asking Bella when she wants help unpacking? Emily wants to lend her a hand, and also run an idea by her," Sam asked.

"Hang on and I'll check." I relayed Sam's query.

"I don't want to live out of boxes any longer than I have to," Bella replied. "When can she help?" Rather than play the telephone game, I just handed the phone to Bella and let her talk to Sam directly. Before she hung up, they'd decided that Sam and Emily would bring at least some of the pack and imprints over to our apartment after we got back today. The guys could help move any pieces of furniture that weren't exactly where Bella wanted them, and the girls could help her unpack, organize, and accessorize.

I drove right at the speed limit all the way back, not wanting to miss out of these last few minutes of our honeymoon. The railing on the stairs leading up to our apartment over the store was decorated with a line of pink and green balloons that I recognized from Savannah's last birthday party. At the top of the stairs, I unlocked the door, opened it, then swept Bella up into my arms and carried her over the threshold and into our new home.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Mahan," I told her, shifting her in my arms so we could share our first kiss here.

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Ha'chli: I'm good/fine/well

Nayeli, ha'ch Bella: I love you, beautiful Bella.

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Won't try to give an estimate on when I'll have the next chapter up. I've got a group project paper and presentation due late this week. But I'll do everything I can to have the next chapter up sometime this week.

If you're looking for something else of mine to read, I did just update my other story "Party Crashers" after a bit of a hiatus, and have the next chapter of that in the works as well.


	41. Welcome Home

AN: Haven't done this in a while, so I should probably state for the record that I do not own Twilight or anything that comes from it. However, if Bella ever passes on Jared, I've got dibs.

The baby gender poll is up on my profile page. Voting is encouraged. When this one goes down, I'll add a poll with name options for voting.

Reviews are wonderful and encouraged, and are great inspiration as I wrap up my semester. Remember that the lucky provider of review #1000 will get a special reward, so keep them coming for each new chapter. Or go back and review chapters you might have skipped before. Anything and everything counts. (Oh, this is available only to submitters of signed reviews.)

Srose: I'm flattered that the story continues to hold your interest. I hope that remains the case until we get to the end. I can't answer your question right now, sorry. Stay tuned and see what happens.

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Bella POV

"Let me give you the grand tour," Jared said after a few minutes. He took my hand and started showing me around. I'd seen the apartment before, of course, but not since the furniture and our boxes of stuff had been brought in, or since the walls had been painted. Most of the walls were a warm cream, but we'd gone with a rust-orange in the kitchen, and light green in both of the bedrooms.

"Now, you're sure you're okay with the green?" he inquired.

"I'm the one that picked it, wasn't I?" I had to shake my head.

"We don't only have to use colors I like, Bella," Jared wrapped his arms around me from behind. "You get to have a say, too."

"I know," I answered, "and I have been. The kitchen color was my pick, too. The green is soothing, which is good for our bedroom. I thought it was a good pick for the nursery, too, since we don't know what we're having. This way, we've got the baby's room already painted, so I won't have to worry about paint fumes later on, and we'll be able to start decorating whenever we want."

"Beautiful and smart—I'm so lucky to have found you." he turned me around in his embrace and sought another kiss.

"Knock, knock," We were pulled out of our contemplation of one another's lips by the sound of a voice coming from the living room. A few seconds later, Sam's head poked around the corner of the short hallway.

"Moving crew's here," he announced. "Welcome home." He came all the way into the room and gave me a hug and Jared a slap on the back. "We've got pizza coming at noon as a bribe to them, so, Bella, do you want to let us know about any furniture pieces that need moving?"

There wasn't too much of that. Just sliding the sofa over a little and switching the placements of the bed and dresser in our bedroom. The rest of it as far as the guys were concerned was carrying boxes into the correct rooms for the girls and me to unpack.

"You look happy," Emily observed, as we got to work on some of the boxes of clothes.

"I am," I agreed. "The last few days have been amazing. I can't believe that I could love Jared any more than I already did, yet somehow I do."

"Love you too," he called from the living room. We all exchanged glances: werewolf hearing.

"So, the honeymoon?" Rachel asked with a grin.

"The beach was lovely, weather was perfect. The lodge treated us to a complimentary dinner last night at the restaurant."

"Come on," Paul moaned theatrically from the other room. "You have to have done _something!_"

"Paul," I called back. "MYOB."

"Later," Kim mouthed.

"Any morning sickness?" Leah asked.

"Just a little yesterday morning. I was pretty lucky about that."

"Probably _would_ have been a mood-killer," Rachel agreed.

An increase in noise from the living room caught our attention.

"Bella, my family's here." Jared popped into the bedroom. His arm snaked around my waist and we walked in step back into the living room. Jared's mom appeared from the kitchen and he let go of me so that she could give me a hug.

"Welcome home," Laura told me.

"Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome. My children deserve only the best. Now," she led me into the kitchen, "Everything in the freezer is labeled with the contents and dates and any special cooking instructions. There's a dish of chicken enchiladas in the fridge for you two to have tonight. And, I hope we'll still see you both for our regular dinner tomorrow?"

I didn't have to look for Jared to know the answer to this one. "We wouldn't miss it."

"I can't stay, but I just had to come up for a minute to say hello and bring that food."

"Can we stay, mom?" Savannah begged.

"It's fine with me, but it's up to Jared and Bella. This is their place—something I hope all of you will remember and respect." Laura directed that last comment to everyone in the room. Her stern look at every member of the pack, huge strong protectors that they were, caused all of them to scramble to find something else to look at or hang their heads.

"I'm sure that everyone will respect any boundaries that Bella and Jared set," Sam assured her. And I knew he'd make sure of it if necessary.

"Bella, what do you say we talk it over and let everyone know?" Jared inquired.

"Sounds good," I agreed. "And visitors are more than welcome today. It's fine with me if Savannah and Drew spend some time over here."

"More free labor," Jared agreed.

"Hey!" Drew protested

"Think of this as the 'work for food' program," his big brother teased.

"I expect the two of you to be home in time for dinner," Laura told her twins, before hugging all four of us (Drew, Savannah, Jared, and me) goodbye, and leaving.

The pizzas Sam had ordered were gone in no time—not surprising with the pack's appetites. Afterward, the younger kids unpacked boxes of books and set them on the bookshelves, while the girls unpacked and organized the kitchen stuff. The older wolves set to work hammering nails into the walls to hang clocks and pictures and calendars. I seized the chance to do something I'd forgotten about and that was long overdue.

"Embry, could you help me with some nails in the bedroom?" I asked casually.

"Sure, Bella," he swiped up a hammer and box of nails and followed me out of the living room.

I pointed out the general placement I wanted, and he used a measuring tape and pencil to mark where the nails would go.

"Embry, I'm sorry I haven't asked this before, but how are you doing?" he froze in the act of lifting the hammer.

I laid a hand gently on his arm and could feel his tension. After a moment, he sank down onto the end of the bed.

"I don't know," Embry finally replied. "I guess I've been ignoring it for the most part."

"Have you talked to your mom?"

He shook his head and looked at me bleakly. "What am I supposed to say? How do I admit to her that I went against her wishes and found an answer she never wanted to give me?"

"I don't have an answer for you—I wish I did. But I don't think it will get any easier the longer you wait. That's part of why Jared and I told our parents about the pregnancy almost as soon as we knew—waiting wasn't going to make it any easier for them to take, and this way they knew we were being up-front with them."

"I thought you told them because you threw up," he glanced at me, the bleakness now tempered with curiosity.

"We were actually planning to tell them that day, anyway. But my throwing up told them without us having to actually say anything."

"How do I…?"

"Sam said he'd help, didn't he?" A nod. "Well, why don't you ask him to come with you? You're not in this alone, Embry. You have a blood brother, and other brothers and sisters who _will_ be here for you, no matter what. And don't forget Kim, either. Let her love you and support you; the imprinting isn't one-sided—if you're what we need, then the reverse is true, too."

He gave another brief nod and resumed his task. I knew enough about guys to know that the subject was closed for now. "These look good?" Embry asked when the last picture was hung.

"Yes, thanks."

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By late afternoon, we had most things unpacked and put away somewhere. I had a feeling we'd probably be shifting some things around sooner or later as we actually started using stuff, but for now just about every box was empty and flattened. With little more than a look, Sam started the pack on the process of getting out the door.

As she left, Leah reminded me, "Mom wanted me to remind you about your appointment tomorrow morning, Bella."

"I haven't forgotten."

Sam and Emily stuck around after everyone else had left.

"Bella, do you have a minute?" Emily asked.

"Sure," I answered.

"I'm not sure if you've thought any about what you'll do now that you've graduated," Emily began.

"Not really," I admitted.

"That's not surprising," she replied. "You've had so much to be thinking about lately. But, I was wondering if you might want to help me around the reservation."

"Doing what?" Now that she'd brought it up, the question of what I'd be doing was one worth answering.

"Checking on elderly members of the tribe, volunteering at the visitor's center, filling it at the tribal office; a little bit of everything, in other words."

My eyes lost focus as I thought about it for a moment. My home life up till now had in large part involved looking after my parents, cooking and cleaning and things like that. As I'd told Jared and his family during my first visit to their house, college wasn't necessarily in my plans, but what was? I knew that being a wife and preparing to be a mother would take up some time, but what else could I do while Jared was working or off on pack business?

I glanced over at him and saw him looking at me. "It's up to you, Bella," was his reply to my unasked question.

"I guess I can give it a try," I offered to Emily. "After all, it'll probably be a good way to start meeting people, right?"

"That'll be one way," Sam agreed. "You'll see a lot of people at the Quileute Days activities next week, too."

"Quileute Days?" my brows lifted in surprise.

"It's three days of ceremonies, games, sports, dancing, singing, fireworks, even and arts & crafts fair. Lots of tribe members who don't live here come back for the weekend."

"When is it exactly?" I asked.

"Next weekend."

"What can I do to help?" I wanted to offer anything I could to my new family and adopted tribe.

"Billy or Sue or Old Quil will know what's left to take care of," Sam answered.

"I'll ask Sue tomorrow then."

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Jared POV

After the door closed behind Sam and Emily, Bella and I just stared at each other, at something of a loss for anything to say. It was just the two of us, in our new home, for the first time. Bella suddenly giggled.

"What?" I asked, wondering what she'd found so funny.

"Just seems a little silly somehow, doesn't it? Us being all awkward right now."

"Guess it does. What should we do about it?"

"Our kiss earlier got interrupted. Why don't we start there?" Bella slid her arms up around my neck. Fire raced through my veins as my lips claimed hers greedily. I didn't recall moving us, but suddenly the couch was pressing against the backs of my legs. I shifted my hands to cradle Bella's arms and let myself fall backward, bracing my beloved so that our landing was feather-light. Bella shifted against me, and what little coherency my thoughts had retained fled on the heels of that most amazing of sensations. Her repeat of the maneuver ripped a growl of pleasure from my throat, echoed by her own throaty laugh.

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Surprisingly, I must have dozed off along with Bella for a little while, until the growling of my stomach penetrated the mind-numbed haze she could so easily send me into.

"Somebody's hungry?" Bella's sleepy voice observed.

"Typical, isn't it? What about you?"

"Yeah, I think I'm getting hungry. I'll just—" she started to stir just a little, and my arms reflexively tightened just a little around her.

"Go take a shower, if you want to. I can handle getting the chicken enchiladas in the oven to heat up."

"You're not planning to act like this for the next seven months, are you?" she didn't look too thrilled by the prospect.

I'm sure she could feel my shrug. "I'll try not to go overboard, but part of me can't help it, love. I _want_ to take care of you."

"I know, and you always have taken care of me. That's no less than what I want to do for you." Her tone was serious.

"How about we take care of each other?"

"Sounds good. But I take it that I'm still not going to be doing anything in the kitchen tonight?"

"Got it in one." I loosened my arms and carefully scooted into a more upright position, where I could slide to the edge of the couch. Bella helped by shifting to one side.

"I think that shower sounds good."

I turned the oven on as the sound of water came from the bathroom. As the stove heated up, I pulled out plates, cups, and silverware, and got the table set. The food went into the oven and the timer was set just about the same time as Bella finished her shower.

It took everything I could muster not to react selfishly when she emerged from the bathroom swathed in my oversized robe again.

"Would you like one of your own for your birthday or Christmas?" With great effort, I kept my voice under control.

"I like borrowing yours. Do you mind?" a tiny wrinkle appeared between her delicate brows.

I wrapped her in my embrace. "I _do_ like it—that's part of the problem. I like it too much. Seeing you like this, I can hardly think straight. All I want to do is—" I broke off.

"Make love to me?" Bella barely colored at all asking that question.

"Yes. But I've got to be able to exercise some amount of control—I did before we got married."

"Am I asking for control? Seems like I'm asking you for the opposite." And she set about proving it.

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"I will definitely have to get this recipe from your mom," Bella commented after taking her first bite of the chicken enchiladas. "These are great."

"She'll be happy to give it. So," I changed the subject, "What time is the appointment tomorrow?"

"Don't you have to work?"

"I'll go in after the appointment; I worked it out with my parents, so I can come to all your appointments."

"It's at nine," her free hand stretched across the table and I laid mine atop it.

I won the dishes debate, too, although Bella insisted on drying them. "Taking care of each other, remember?" As she retrieved a plate from the rinse-water and started applying the towel, she returned to an earlier conversation. "Quileute Days sounds like fun."

"It is," I agreed. It's a big three-day celebration of what it means to be Quileute—at least the parts that everyone knows about."

"Maybe I can talk to your mom about it, too. I'm sure there's lots of eating involved; maybe we could cook some things up."

"She'd like sharing that with you. We can bring it up tomorrow night if you want to."

"Let's. Now, since the dishes are done, what would you like to do?" Bella slipped the dishtowel through the oven handle and leaned against the edge of the counter.

"How about a movie?" I suggested.

"You get to pick this time," she declared as she moved into the living room and settled on the couch. I figured she deserved to win this one, so I headed for the movie shelf without any comment. I scanned the titles we owned and picked one I knew she'd like. I was just opening the DVD case when Bella's cell phone rang.

"Hey dad," she answered. I settled onto the couch beside her, but held off on starting the movie. I was actually a little surprised that it had taken Charlie this long to call her, but in retrospect, I realized he was probably trying to respect our privacy and the change to his role in Bella's life.

"Hey, Charlie," I spoke loudly enough that the phone's built-in microphone would pick up my words.

"He says 'hi' back," Bella relayed. "We had a great time," she answered the question he must have asked. "No, we're pretty much settled in already. Sam and Emily brought over some help this afternoon and we got almost everything unpacked and put away… Jared'll be back at work tomorrow, after my appointment. No, I'm feeling just fine—this is my monthly check-up, that's all. I can call and let you know that everything's okay if you want me to, or, why don't you come down here for dinner—we're already joining Jared's family, and I'm sure it'll be fine if you come too." I tapped her arm and nodded agreement. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye, dad."

"That was a good idea, inviting him down, too."

"I don't want to leave him out of things. We'll want to have separate family time at least part of the time, but with us just back from our honeymoon and then my appointment tomorrow morning, it just seems right to combine this time. So, which movie is it?"

Her question was answered when the menu screen appeared on the TV. "Twenty-Seven Dresses, again?" Bella commented as she curled up against my side.

"It's grown on me," I admitted, pressing the 'enter' button. We both carefully avoided meeting each other's eyes during the car scene, although I'm positive we were both thinking about it. I thought she'd drifted off at the end of the movie, until her voice spoke over the credits music.

"That look on his face at their wedding…is that how you felt when you saw me?"

"Yeah. It was like imprinting all over again. All I could see was you and how absolutely gorgeous you were. You were perfect."

"That's just what I wanted." She sighed and nestled her head more deeply into the crook of my shoulder. Then, "Jared? It didn't bother you, did it, my wearing the necklace?"

"It's your necklace, Bella. You can wear it whenever you want to." I privately admitted that I'd found it a little odd that she'd chosen to wear a necklace given by a vampire during her wedding to a werewolf, but it had been what she'd wanted, so I wasn't going to argue about it.

"I needed something blue, for the tradition," she explained, "and I had it, and it just seemed right. I've moved on past that part of my life, but I can't ignore that they _were_ part of my life, part of what's made me who I am."

"The woman I love more than I could have ever dreamed," I told her.

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I swatted the alarm clock as soon as it released its first blare. Bella stirred next to me and sat up. A moment later she was bolting for the bathroom. Her nausea this morning was the worst I'd seen yet, continuing even after her stomach had to have been completely emptied.

"Oh, Bella. What can I do?" I whispered. It killed me that she had to go through this.

"Just hold me," she croaked. I settled up both on the floor, my back against the side of the bathtub, pressing a damp washcloth against her forehead. She stirred enough to grasp one of my hands and lay it gently over her stomach. "That feels good—much better than a hot-water bottle or heating pad."

"Anytime you need it." We sat there for a while, not speaking, but not needing to, either. "Do you want to take a shower before we head to the clinic?"

"I should, but I don't know about standing up solo. Could—could you help me?"

"Of course." I let her stay on the bath rug while I started the water. "How does this feel?"

She moved until her hand would reach to the running water. "Feels perfect."

While I would admit to having dreams about a combination of Bella, myself, and a shower, this wasn't the time for that. This morning was all about making her feel better and getting over to the clinic.

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AN: I thought about adding more, but this is actually a good place to stop. Plus, you've been very patient in waiting for this chapter while I met a couple of due-dates. Hope you enjoyed it.

I've had several reviewers ask about Embry telling his mom that he knows the truth now. I've done a quick poll switch to get ideas on how that might happen, so please vote so I get some input. The gender poll will go back up in a few days.


	42. We Need to Talk

AN: Wow, thank you so, so much to each and every one of my 186 individual reviewers, whether you have reviewed only one chapter or all of them (MaryBBLove23 and Robin.D: you are awesome for hitting all 41). A thousand reviews in only 41 chapters and in a little over 5 months: each and every one of you is amazing. Congratulations to lucky reviewer embryzzgrl for hitting the magic number, and big thanks to mc7575 for adding to the total to get things close.

To everyone: I am sorry that this chapter took me longer than expected to produce. If you saw what I originally put up as #42, it was an explanation that last Saturday I was informed by about half a dozen people that someone on the scribd(dot)com site had taken this entire story and posted it word-for-word to their account there claiming the story as their own—they stole stories from a number of other fanfic writers as well. Needless to say, I was upset and angry and stewed for a couple days over it. Writing was absolutely the last thing on my mind, both because I wasn't in the mood, and because I wasn't going to create another chapter for them to steal. I was very pleased to hear back from the website last Monday and to learn that the thief's account there had been deleted and my story removed. That put me in a better mood, as did finishing my final school assignments for the semester this past week. I've now got a couple weeks of fairly open time that I can hopefully get a lot of writing and planning done. Thank you to everyone who sent me supportive messages while this issue was being resolved, and for all the new people who have added me and my story to their favorites and alerts.

If you reviewed the AN posting and the system won't let you review this chapter, just let me know what you think in a PM and I'll send you the tease that way.

Last note, I promise. Now that this chapter is up, I've changed the poll on my profile page. Next up is a poll on boy names (and no, I'm not saying that Bella and Jared will have a boy). It will be up until August 15. Then I will post the complementary poll on girl names (again, I'm not confirming they're having a girl, either). For both of these polls, you should be able to vote for your top three first name/middle name combinations.

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Jared POV

We ended up being only a few minutes late to the appointment.

"I'm sorry," Bella apologized to the clinic's receptionist.

"That's alright," was the reply. "I assume the unpleasant part has kicked in?"

Bella nodded.

"I know it might not help now, but it really will go away after a while; I've got two myself, so I know what it's like."

"It gets better, though, doesn't it?" my wife asked for reassurance.

"With my first, I was great after the first trimester, but with my second, I was sick most of the way through. Every woman is different, and so is each pregnancy."

"Bella, you can come back now," Sue greeted us. "Jared, I'll ask you to wait a few minutes so Bella can get changed."

"No problem."

Back in the exam room, Sue got right down to business. "So how have you been feeling, Bella?"

"A little more tired than usual, sometimes. Mainly it's the nausea, though. This morning was the worst yet."

"A few more weeks of that, I'm afraid. Which isn't much comfort, I know," Sue commiserated. "It ought to ease up by the start of your 4th month."

"Any suggestions?" I asked. "I know you said there aren't any cures, but is there anything we can try besides what you mentioned last time?"

"The most important thing, Bella, is for you to stay hydrated. Getting dehydrated will only make things worse for you, and will affect the baby, too. The juices and teas I recommended will help boost your fluid levels back up. Even ice chips can help if you're feeling really queasy."

I caught the look on Bella's face when the scale revealed she'd gained a couple pounds since her last appointment. "Is that good or bad?" I wanted to know. Sue made a note on Bella's chart before answering.

"It's about what we'd want to see. A gain of three to four pounds during the first trimester is good. It's not uncommon to lose just a little weight during the early weeks, though, especially if the nausea is really bad. I don't see any cause for concern right now, and we'll monitor things at every appointment. And Bella, if you have any questions, you can always catch me at home if you need to."

"Thank you." Bella's relief was obvious.

"Everything looks good," Sue informed us as we walked back up to the receptionist's desk. "We'll get your next appointment set up, and see you next month. Bella, do try to eat as balanced a diet as possible."

"I'll try to make sure of it," I promised.

We'd only taken a couple steps toward the front door when Bella stopped in her tracks. "Sue, is there anything I can do to help get ready for the Quileute Days coming up?"

"Hmm," she pondered. "The organizing committee is meeting on Thursday evening. If you have time to stop by, we ought to know what still needs doing." Bella nodded and we continued out to the car. We'd only just gotten settled in and our seat belts on when Bella's phone rang.

"Hi, Emily," she answered. With my wolf hearing, I easily heard Emily's reply even with the phone not being on speaker.

"Hi, Bella. Just checking to see about your schedule."

"We just got done at the clinic," my wife relayed to her friend, "so Jared can drop me off wherever you want on his way to work."

"How about the tribal office, then?"

"Sure," Bella agreed, seeing my nod.

As I pulled the car into a stall in front of the tribal office, I looked over at my wife. "Spend as much time with Emily today as you want. I'll scrounge something for lunch and see you tonight, alright?"

"See you then." She leaned over the center console toward me and I bent her way to kiss her goodbye.

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I walked into the store, having dropped Bella off with Emily.

"Hey, son," my dad greeted when he saw me.

"Jared!" Mom appeared and gave me a quick hug. "Bella?"

"She's with Emily; she's going to help Emily out around the reservation, start getting to know people and stuff."

"How was the appointment?"

"Laura," dad touched her arm. "They'll be over for dinner, you know."

"Oh, I almost forgot, Bella's dad will be coming, too. She talked to him last night and it sounds like he wants an update same as you."

"Then we can wait as well," dad decided. "Jared, can you give me a hand bringing in some restock?"

"Sure." I effortlessly hefted the box we needed and carried it back into the store proper. I easily fell into conversation with my dad as we emptied the box's contents and added them to the shelf display.

"I know I said we'd wait for details, and we will, but did you and Bella have a good time at the resort?"

"We did. Thanks again for arranging that for us. It really was great to get away for a couple days, just the two of us."

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Bella POV

I got out of the car and saw Emily waiting for me on the small porch.

"Everything okay?" she asked me.

"I'm doing fine, other than getting sick again this morning." I was trying to do my best not to downplay how I was feeling; people couldn't help me if I didn't let them know how I felt. _It's not just about you anymore, Bella,_ I kept reminding myself.

Emily took me around the office, and offered introductions to the staff. Then we stopped in to say hi to Billy and Old Quil. The rest of the morning was taken up with seeing how the office was organized and what kinds of things they handled.

We went back to her place for lunch, and as expected, part of the pack was already there.

"Bella!" Seth called when he saw me.

"Hey, Seth. What's new?"

"Nuthin much," he shrugged. "Where's Jared?"

"At work. Emily's giving me the tribal crash-course today."

"You guys still gonna hang out with us?" my new cousin Collin asked.

"Sometimes," I promised. "We've got to balance time for the two of us, and being with our families, too. But you guys are important to us just the same. We're not going to forget about you. In fact, I'll talk to Jared about us hosting everyone for a movie night or game night, how about that?"

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On Thursday night, we headed to the community center for the planning session. All the elders, except for Sam were there, and a lot of the pack parents, interestingly enough. I was a little surprised to see Embry's mom there, since she wasn't Quileute, but reflected that they probably weren't about to turn down any willing volunteer. I got to meet Sam's mom, who I didn't recall having been introduced to before now. She struck me as a very strong woman, which wasn't surprising since she'd raised her son alone.

In short order, it was decided that Laura, Emily, and I would handle making some things for the food tent, and I'd signed up for a shift at Sue's jewelry booth. Jared committed most of the guys to helping with the physical labor of setting up and taking down tables, booths, and tents.

Things were starting to wind down when the sound of the door opening and closing distracted us. We all looked up to see that it was Sam and Embry. I instinctively squeezed Jared's hand, somehow knowing that something was about to happen.

"Sorry I'm late," Sam apologized. "Embry and I needed to talk, and lost track of time."

"We understand," Old Quil accepted graciously.

I looked from Sam to Embry, and saw a marked difference between the two. Sam appeared calm; Embry, anything but. He seemed to be trembling slightly with whatever emotions he was feeling. Sam reached out and silently grasped Embry's shoulder. The touch seemed to relax him, although from the corner of my eye I could see that the other elders had seemingly absorbed that displaced tension. Embry's gaze remained fixed on his mother. "We need to talk."

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Embry POV

I wasn't sure how she'd done it, but in only a few words while I was hanging her pictures the other day, Bella had managed to knock me out of the paralysis that I'd been in for just over a month now, ever since I'd opened an envelope and discovered the answer to my lifelong question: who is my father? I'd asked Sam for a few days to figure things out, and that had quickly turned into weeks. When we'd all decided to order the DNA tests and get the answers we needed, it had been the right decision, but I honestly didn't think we'd really considered what to do afterward, how we would tell anyone outside the pack.

_Why is it so hard to just tell her that I know?_ I still hadn't figured that out. Or maybe I had, and just didn't want to reflect on it. I'd been feeling guilty about the state of my relationship with my mom for a while now, ever since I'd first phased and started having to keep that secret from her.

I slouched on the couch in Kim's living room and shut my eyes, as if that would erase my problems.

"I'm sorry," I felt Kim settle on the couch and curl up next to me.

"Sorry for what?" I roused enough to open my eyes and look down at her.

"Sorry that you're having to go through this."

"It's not your fault that my dad cheated on his wife with my mom and got her pregnant. It's not your fault that my mom never wanted me to know who he was."

"It's not your fault, either, you know." My girlfriend evidently thought I'd brooded long enough, She twisted around until she was on her knees beside me. Her hands came up and pulled my head around. Kim's next move was to kiss me insistently.

Before I reluctantly left for home that night, Kim got in the last word. "Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I'm going to be here for you, Embry. Don't you ever forget that."

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A couple days later, I found myself heading for Sam's place after finishing my patrol shift. It was atypically empty and silent, which actually didn't bother me; I needed time to think.

"Embry? Something on your mind?" Sam's voice broke into my thoughts.

"Am I going to look like a wimp if I say 'yes'?"

Sam dropped into the chair next to me. "Of course not. I do have at least some idea what this is like, remember." And he did. This was both like and unlike what he'd faced with Leah, having to tell her she didn't hold his heart anymore. Or with his own mom, in not being able to tell her anything about where he'd been those two weeks.

"Women are usually right about things, aren't they?" He blinked a little at my seemingly irrelevant question.

"Usually," Sam agreed.

"I think we need to tell them," I got it all out in a rush.

"Okay. When?" Sam always had been great about the practical stuff.

"What is it they say, 'There's no time like the present?'"

"If that's what you want, let's go."

As we walked along, he brought my earlier question back up. "Which women?"

"Huh?"

"You said women are usually right. I just wondered who you meant."

"Bella and Kim."

"Yeah, they're right. Doesn't matter about what, they're right."

"Tell me about it."

"On that note, how are you and Kim doing?"

"I think we're fine. I know I've laid a lot on her lately, and maybe I shouldn't have, but—"

"Strong relationships involve both parties. You're there for her when she needs it, and she's there for you when you need it."

"I guess I just feel sometimes that she's having to take more than the others. Can't be easy for her with me being two whole years younger than she is. Even taking the pack out of it, I'm still stuck here until I graduate."

Sam's arm slung around my shoulder, in a way that only a guy's guy could. "Wish I had answers for you, brother. Has she said anything about it?"

"No, but I think she's a bit like Bella that way—doesn't want to upset me."

"Women are never shy about expressing themselves, or so I've found. When she's ready to talk about it, and knows she'll have your full attention, then she'll bring it up."

My house was silent and empty when we got there. "Where is she?" I wondered.

"Crap," Sam muttered.

"What?"

"It's Thursday." At my blank look, he explained, "Planning session for Quileute Days. She's probably there. _I'm_ supposed to be there."

We hustled off toward the community building. When we got there, the meeting looked to be almost over. Everyone looked up when we walked in. My earlier resolution to get this over with started to fade when I caught sight of my mom, and a moment later, Sam's mom, too. I barely heard Sam's apology over the rush of blood in my ears. Sam's hand on my shoulder let me regain focus. I hadn't been this close to losing control in a long time.

"We need to talk," I said, to whom exactly I wasn't quite sure. It took only a look and gesture from Billy Black to start clearing the room. Kim shook her head when her mom tried to get her to leave with her.

"I'm staying. Embry needs me." How true that was. When she stepped up to my side, I wrapped my arms around her and clung tight. "It's okay, Embry. It'll be okay." When I managed to unlock my arms, she stayed right beside me and interlaced her fingers with mine. I looked up to see that only the elders, my mom, Sam's mom, and Emily had remained.

"What do we need to talk about, Embry?" my mom asked.

"We need to talk about my dad."

Her mouth tightened, almost imperceptively. "Embry, I've told you—"

"I know who he is." Mom made a choked sound, like I'd punched her in the stomach.

"How?" she whispered.

"I tried to think of why you wouldn't tell me. It didn't make sense if he didn't live here or have connections here somehow. A Makah wouldn't have that. But if he was Quileute, it was easier to see why you wouldn't want to say anything. I didn't want to hurt you mom, I swear I didn't. But I had to know. We did some blood tests a few weeks ago. I know I'm Sam's brother."

"Sam…" I could tell that his mom was hurt, just as mine was.

"I'm sorry, too, mom," he told her, leaving Emily's side to approach her. "But I agreed with what Embry said: he had the right to know. And we had the right to know as well—to know which of us had a brother. I know it hurts to know that dad betrayed you—betrayed all of us—like this, but he did and we have to deal with it." He turned to my mom then. "I don't need or want to know any details, and I doubt Embry does, either." I nodded in agreement.

"I just needed to know who he was," I whispered. I finally gathered up the courage to walk up to my mom.

"What do you plan to do now?"

I took a deep breath. "I don't want to have to hide things. I want to be part of this tribe officially, to be Sam's brother."

"Can we talk first?"

"Sure."

We walked outside in silence and sat at one of the picnic tables. My mom sighed heavily.

"I met Joshua Uley when I wasn't much older than you are now," she began. "I didn't have the best home life, and I was flattered when an older newcomer was interested in me. Things got physical pretty quickly between us. I was too naïve to think about protection, and I guess he didn't care either. When I got pregnant, I was like so many other teenage girls: sure that everything was going to work out, and we'd get a home and get married and live happily-ever-after. He…didn't react like I dreamed. He really didn't say anything, just that he needed to think. The next day, he was gone."

"He hadn't really shared much about himself, but I had managed to learn that he was from La Push. My parents weren't about to let me stay there with them, so I moved out and came down here. I guess I thought I'd find him waiting. Instead, I found out that he was married, that he had a toddler son, and that he'd walked out on them both. I felt like such a fool, that I'd been so gullible and naïve. But I never once considered taking the easy way out and having an abortion. I suppose that I decided to grow up, and take responsibility. When people here asked me about your father, I told them the same story as you. I didn't lie—exactly—just implied. I couldn't hurt Mary Uley any more than she already had been. But I guess I ended up hurting you instead, not answering your questions, making you wonder and doubt."

"I didn't, for a long time." I replied, trying to comfort her, to ease her guilt. "It was only when I figured out that he might have been local that it started to burn. I couldn't help looking around and wondering who it could be. Wondering if he could have other kids here, too. Whether one of my friends might be a sibling. It bugged them, too, so we decided to try and find out. We did a few tests, just to start, and it ended up that Sam was a match to me."

"When did you find out?"

I gulped. "About a month ago. I knew I needed to say something to you, I just couldn't figure out what or how, so I kept putting it off."

"Is this why you've been behaving better lately?" Mom gave me a surprisingly amused look.

My face flushed with rare embarrassment. "Maybe. Kim's part of it, too."

"So she knows?"

"Yeah. I couldn't keep that kind of secret from her."

"And you were smart enough not to even try." I literally jumped when Kim spoke. When her hands landed on my shoulders, I reached up with one of my own to cover hers. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I looked over at my mom. "I think we will be. How is everyone else?"

"Sam explained things to his mom. She's not too happy about things, obviously, but she's not mad at either of you."

Back inside, only the elders were waiting for us. Billy spoke directly to my mom. "Melody, we've heard Embry's request to be identified as a member of the Quileute tribe. Since he's still a minor, we would need your consent."

"You have it," she replied.

"Then we can arrange something for next week, if that's acceptable."

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Bella POV

"Anything going on with your friend? Jared's dad asked as we headed out.

Jared and I exchanged a glance. Even though we'd both figured out what was going on, what we could say about it wasn't so clear.

"I don't think it's for us to say right now, dad," was my husband's answer.

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AN: (Sorry, just one more). I've said before that, while I prefer using Bella's or Jared's POV for this story, that I have used/will use other POV's if that's what will best help tell a section or chapter. That's the case here. Most people wanted a real-time version of Embry telling his mom, and reviewer JEEDAi6189 asked about Sam/Embry bonding, so we get it all.

Okay, last one, I swear. If anyone has any pregnancy or newlywed peeves they'd like to share, feel free to pass them along. I won't be working from firsthand experience here, so any ideas are welcome.


	43. Settling In

AN: Thanks to mc7575 for more great research, most of which will appear in the next chapter. Also, thanks to everyone who's contributed marriage/pregnancy peeves. Feel free to share more, or to share if you haven't yet. Also, any odd food cravings will be welcome.

Donnesha: I hope this came soon enough for you.

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Bella POV

On Saturday morning, I awoke gradually. Without opening my eyes, I reached over to the nightstand to blindly grab the sleeve of saltine crackers that were now the standard start to my day. After eating a couple, I slowly cracked open my eyelids to look for—yes, the chilled cup of Sprite was waiting on the coaster, courtesy of Jared. A few sips to wash the crackers down, a deep breath to check the status of my stomach, and I felt good enough to carefully scoot up into a sitting position against the headboard.

"Hac'h chi'i," Jared's voice had me turning my head toward the doorway. He stood framed within it. "Ayasochid?"

"Hac'hho," I replied. And I was good so far.

"Good. I made you breakfast, if you're up for it."

"You made me breakfast?"

He approached the bed, dropping to his knees beside it so that our faces were about level. "Happy anniversary, Bella." The hand he'd been holding behind his back emerged holding a trio of roses: red, orange, and yellow.

I blinked, eyes flickering toward the wall calendar seeking confirmation. Saturday…July 10…"Oh my goodness." We'd gotten married one week ago today. Looking back at my husband, who still knelt beside me with the roses in hand…my eyes filled with tears that began to trickle down my cheeks. Jared quickly set the vase on the nightstand and reached up to brush away the tears.

"I thought you'd like them."

"I do!"

"But you're crying." His male confusion was actually pretty funny, and I couldn't help a giggle.

"These are happy tears."

"Okay. Good." He looked relieved. I crooked my index finger in a "come here" gesture and he was almost instantly on the bed beside me.

"Thank you. They're beautiful."

"You're welcome. They mean something, you know; besides the occasion."

I vaguely recalled that different colors of roses meant different things. "What?"

"Red means "I love you"—which I do, more and more every day; yellow means "joy" or "happiness"—you make me so happy that I can't even find the words to express it." His dark eyes shone with each and every one of those emotions. I pulled him close, deliberately forgetting my morning breath, and kissed him.

"Nayeli," I whispered, when I let him go. "And orange?" My brows lifted to see the faintest reddening of his skin. He took a deep breath.

"An orange rose means "desire".

It gave me such a thrill, hearing him say so openly how much he wanted me. Even with all the throwing up I had and would do, with how big I would get—he still wanted me that way. The same way I wanted him. I let my hand ghost down his neck and along his shoulder to circle the tattoo on his bicep.

"Will breakfast keep for a while?"

"Umm…"

"Well, on second thought, I probably should have something to eat. Then maybe you can tell me more about that orange rose."

"Breakfast in bed?"

"Sure." I took advantage of his return to the kitchen to visit the bathroom to take care of my morning needs. The tray Jared brought in was loaded with plenty of scrambled eggs, toast, jelly, and fruit. We had a very romantic breakfast, taking turns feeding each other, turning the meal into a prelude.

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Jared POV

I surfaced for the second time that morning to the sound of my cell phone emitting "Who Let the Dogs Out", the ringtone that members of the pack shared.

"What?" I mumbled.

"Jared?" It was Jake. What—never mind. I'm not asking."

"What's up, Jake?" I glanced over to see that Bella was still sleeping. I grabbed a pair of shorts off the floor and propped the phone between my ear and shoulder so I could slide them on before heading into the living room.

"Some of the guys are wondering if Bella talked to you about a get-together."

"On our one-week anniversary? Come on."

"Oops. Sorry." Jake sounded embarrassed.

"It's okay. She did mention the idea, but we didn't pick a day or anything. I'll ask her when she wakes up."

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Surprising me, like she usually did, Bella was fine with having the pack over that evening.

"But they should bring most of the food—no need for you to spend all day in the kitchen," I insisted.

"Sounds only fair," Bella agreed.

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"Hey, hey, the gang's all here!" Quil announced dramatically as he popped through the door. Collin and Brady bounced in with such enthusiasm that I was concerned for the bags of chips they were swinging around.

"Careful with the pop," Leah shot back at Quil and her brother Seth. "Hi, Bella."

"Hi, Leah."

"Hear you're helping out next weekend." Leah set down the bowl she was carrying on the table and joined Bella on the sofa.

"That's the plan. I'm looking forward to it, honestly. It sounds like lots of fun."

"It is," Sam agreed, as he and Emily, and Embry and Kim brought up the rear of the procession. "Lots of singing, dancing, sports…"

"Do you guys play?" Bella asked.

"Not as much as we want to," Paul admitted.

"We've got to be pretty careful," I agreed. "We can't let loose around the rest of the tribe the way we can when it's just us."

"We—" Jake started, before being cut off by his sister.

"Are going to eat while the food's still hot." Rachel decreed.

The noise level didn't really decrease any even when everyone started eating.

"Jared, is it weird being married?" Brady asked around a mouthful of little smokies.

"No, it really isn't." I replied, seriously.

I saw Sam lift a skeptical eyebrow. "Just remember that they call this the 'honeymoon phase' for a reason, Jared."

"Sure, I'll remember." But honestly, I didn't think I had anything to worry about.

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Bella POV

After a long game of the Star Wars edition of Trivial Pursuit, Sam got everyone moving, detailing Paul and Jake to make sure they all got home.

Sunday, we spent with Jared's family. His mom had lots of wedding photos to show us, and we had our promise to keep to Savannah and Drew.

The rest of the week sped by. I did more volunteering with Emily, cooking with Laura, girl time with Kim, Rachel, and Leah, and of course spending time with Jared. We did seem to still be living in the 'honeymoon phase' that Sam had mentioned. Other than the little hiccup caused by my initial reaction to the imprint, everything about our relationship had been smooth sailing. Like Jared, I wasn't too worried about us having major problems. The pack was being really good—almost suspiciously good—at giving us privacy.

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The first morning of Quileute Days, it seemed like I went through my entire wardrobe trying to find something to wear. I wasn't really showing yet, at least not so that most people would notice, but my body was definitely starting to change so that _I _could notice. I was already having to use larger-waist shorts and stuff that different women had started to funnel my way. I probably had a few more weeks before I'd have to start looking into even larger things, or even into actual maternity clothes.

"It's just a reality," Sue had told me earlier this week, when she'd caught one of my venting episodes. "Slim women usually show sooner than women who are naturally full-figured."

I wasn't going to win any style awards now, but that had never been my thing even before getting pregnant. I'd always been more on comfort than style, anyway.

Finally settling on something to wear, I headed outside, pausing to lock the door behind me. Part of that was my cop-daughter training, but most of it was the fact that there would be so many visitors around this weekend. With all the big guys around, it wasn't like most people here were too worried about thieves most of the time, but with so many strangers... Carefully descending the stairs, I slipped into the store, wanting to see Jared again before heading out for my day.

"Hey, babe," Jared spotted me and abandoned the paperwork he was doing to come and hug me. "Missed me already?"

"Of course," I teased.

"Well, I've been missing you, so that's only fair."

"Know when you'll be coming over?" I asked.

He glanced over at his dad. "Probably late this afternoon. We're handing the details for the salmon bake this evening, right before the opening ceremony and dancing and fireworks."

I was a little disappointed at that, but didn't want him feeling bad about it. "I can't wait. I'm sure Emily will help keep me busy until then, though."

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"Two weeks in now. How are things going?" Emily asked me, as we stood in her kitchen getting ready for the opening cookout.

"Things are good. Why is it that everyone seems to be asking us that?" It was starting to get a little irksome.

"I think some of it is that we know how much the two of you have been dealing with lately, and we want to live up to the promises we made to the two of you to be supportive and helpful. For most of the others, their questions come from the vantage point of already being married and having been through pregnancies, so they know that daily routine quirks and pregnancy peeves can pop up."

"I guess you're right, but I think we're doing fine."

With the start time approaching, Emily pulled out a couple boxes and hot pads to help transport the food. "If you want to get the car started and the air conditioning working, I can get the food out to the car. We are _not_ going to walk and carry everything, Bella."

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Arriving at the opening for Quileute Days, it was as if I'd entered a completely new world. The heart of La Push was filled with people, most of whom I didn't recognize. Some were wearing tribal ensembles or elements, while others were in regular clothing. I heard bits of the Quileute language, but most conversation was in English.

"Bella!" I heard Jared call my name, and turned in a circle trying to find him. He worked his way through the crowd toward me. "Did you have a good day?"

"Mine was just fine. Yours?"

"Store was a lot busier than usual, but that's to be expected with all the visitors arriving." His arm wrapped around me, and he used his body to create a path for us through the crowd. Most of his family was already gathered around the fire pits. Drew quickly stood when he saw us. "I was saving this one for you, Bella," he said, gesturing to the padded lawn chair.

"Thanks, little brother."

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Jared POV

I had to turn to hide my grin when my Bella called Drew her "little brother". More of my extended family were here this weekend; ones who hadn't been able to make our wedding two weeks ago. It didn't take long for them to notice my arrival with Bella, and we were quickly the center of attention. After a little while, my mom called me away to help out.

"Jared, can you help your dad get the grill frames set over the fires?"

"Sure, Mom."

That done, I glanced over at the fish my mom was getting ready to put onto the grills. I was relieved to see that some had already been skinned and filleted—I would bet practically anything that the sight of a whole fish would send Bella running for the nearest trashcan.

I got more than a few approving looks from people when I insisted Bella stay in her seat and that I would bring her a plate of food.

"This is great!" Bella told me, in between bites of salmon and grilled vegetable skewers.

Later, after everyone had moved to the cliff top ceremonial circle, I wrapped Bella in a jacket I'd brought, and had her sit on my lap, so that she'd get as much of my warmth as possible. I used the brief pauses between songs to try and give her an idea of what each song had been about. She watched, fascinated, as tribal dancers re-enacted some of our oldest stories.

"You have such an amazing culture," Bella whispered, as the first fireworks of the night began to streak into the sky.

"It is. Thank you for helping me to appreciate it even more."

As we sat back to enjoy the fireworks, I thought back on the past week.

(flashback)

Embry was sprawled on one of the benches on the store's front porch when I came outside for a quick break. I'd planned on slipping upstairs to see if Bella was home, but changed my mind when I saw my friend—I knew Bella would understand.

"How are you doing?" I asked quietly as I dropped down beside him.

A shrug, and a sigh. "I wish I knew."

"Is your mom okay with things now? Is she, or anyone else, giving you a hard time?" I'd come to realize that there were times when I found myself still acting as the Beta; clearly, giving it up completely had been a bit more of a challenge than I'd realized.

"She says she fine about it. She's even been helping me with the tribal enrollment paperwork."

"So what is it, then?"

"I guess I just see people watching me more now. It's like I can tell who knows now just from how they look at me."

"Nothing that happened was your doing, Embry. The elders know the truth, and they_ will _do right by you. They'll be able to fix things so that the rest of the tribe understands what they need to."

"I know, but—"

"You're half-Quileute—the DNA test proves that, and it proves that Joshua Uley, an acknowledged member of the tribe, was your father. You've phased, so they know Taha Aki was your ancestor. You've lived here your whole life, so no one can argue you're not a resident of La Push. Don't worry so much, bro. Everything will be fine."

(end flashback)

_Everything will be fine._ For everyone's sake, I hoped I was right. I was confident, as I'd told Embry, that the elders would do everything they could from a legal standpoint, but he probably was justified in wondering how the tribe as a whole would accept things. Sam had had to bear some of the burdens of being Joshua's son, and now Embry was about to do the same.

After talking with Embry, I'd taken the initiative to fill my dad in on some of it. I knew that a lot of people thought highly of him and listened to what he had to say. I hoped that he would be able to be a positive influence on public opinion.

(flashback)

"So your friend Embry is Sam's half-brother?"

"Yeah. Joshua Uley abandoned them both. They only just figured things out, and Embry wants the acknowledgment of the tribe."

"You know, I knew Joshua growing up. I wish I could figure out why he did the things he did." My dad ran his hands back through his hair.

"I think they wish that, too. But they'll settle for people accepting Embry for who he is."

My dad clapped me lightly on the shoulder before getting back to work.

(end flashback)

When the last of the fireworks and their echoes had faded away, I shifted in the chair to ease muscles grown a little stiff from sitting still for so long. Bella shifted on my lap, and I realized that in spite of all the noise, she'd somehow fallen asleep. It took Drew holding onto the chair, and my parents bracing me, for me to get to my feet and shift Bella into a better carrying position. Quil and Seth walked along with me back up to the store, just to make sure I didn't trip over something I couldn't see.

"See you tomorrow," was their quiet goodbye as they each headed for their own homes. I headed up the stairs and into the apartment. Bella was still sound asleep, so I just undressed her enough for comfort and slipped into bed next to her. Tomorrow would be a big day and would be here before we knew it.

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Hac'h chi'i = Good morning.

Ayasochid? = How are you?

Hac'hho= I'm good/well.

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AN: In writing this chapter, I came to decide that splitting up the events of Quileute Days into multiple chapters made the most sense. I have also realized that the teaser I gave for the last chapter actually applies to the chapter after this one, so rather than give any more away, I'll just ask for lots of reviews to inspire me to get that chapter up even quicker. I've already got a start on it, with what I pushed from this chapter to that one, so…review and get a new chapter. Please .


	44. Quicksand

AN: Ok, here is the rest of Quileute Days. I hope the wait hasn't been too unbearable. I also hope that the tiny tease I provided last time didn't drive you too crazy as you tried to figure it out. It does get answered in this chapter.

The boy baby name poll will be up through August 15, and then I'll replace it with the girl baby name poll.

Thanks to everyone for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. It really means a lot to me when someone takes just a moment to click on the review link and let me know what they think. If you're new, thank you and please keep it up. If you're an old reviewer who hasn't reviewed in a while, it's never too late to share. If you just don't like the direction I'm taking the story, then I am sorry for that, but this is the way I want it to go. I do appreciate knowing about things that may be lacking or have been overlooked.

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Bella POV

When I woke up, I only had time to realize I was in our bed, before I had to bolt for the bathroom to throw up. My stomach was aching slightly by the time I'd finally emptied it into the toilet. The standard cool washcloth descended onto my brow.

"I hate this, Bella," Jared whispered. "I wish you didn't have to go through this."

"What, are you offering to switch places?" The thought of him going through morning sickness, weight gain, and mood swings suddenly struck me as funny and I started giggling. It made my stomach start to twinge again, but I didn't mind this time.

"What?" he looked completely baffled at my finding anything funny in this situation.

"You…pregnant…funny…" I managed between giggles.

His expression was one of utter confusion, but he didn't press for a better explanation.

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My morning unpleasantness now over (I hoped), I started getting dressed while Jared managed breakfast. The shirt I picked out…_Crap,_ I thought. It had somehow gotten stained and couldn't be worn. My attempt to toss it into the hamper fell short, so I went after it. When I saw that Jared had had the same problem…I grabbed another shirt, dressed, and headed for the kitchen.

"Feeling better?" Jared asked when he saw me.

"Better? I found your shirt on the floor, right next to the hamper. I had to pick it up when I tossed my dirty shirt in." I wasn't sure why I was so worked up about it—it wasn't as if I was a complete neat-freak myself, though I did like things to be in order.

"I'm sorry?"

I took a deep breath. This kind of overreaction wasn't like me, and it wasn't like this was a huge issue anyway. "Me, too. I'm not sure why I overreacted about it."

He brought breakfast to the table and then gave me a hug. "It's okay, Bella. I should've gotten it into the hamper, not just near it. My mom wouldn't clean up after me, and neither will you."

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Jared POV

When Bella had come out of the bedroom and brought up my shirt, I'd had the feeling of standing in quicksand or on the edge of a cliff. I figured that apologizing was the best thing I could do, besides promising to be tidier. Maybe Sam had had a bit of a point with married life being a little harder than I'd thought.

Bella tried to apologize again as we got ready to head to the festivities. "Bella, please, it's fine. I'm the one who left a mess behind. I'll do better, I promise."

We had the morning to walk around and for Bella to absorb more of my culture: listening to singers and musicians, watching dancers. Before Bella's shift with Emily at the food booth, we had enough time to walk through the booths of arts and crafts. I made a mental note of something I saw on a table of woven items, that I thought would be perfect for Bella's birthday present; I'd have to come back for it later when she wasn't with me.

"This is all so amazing," Bella shook her head, taking it all in. Her fingers trailed along carved wind chimes, stroked the smooth polished wood of tabletop totems.

I tried to take a step back and see things through her eyes; she had a point. As Billy often said in his stories: we were a small tribe, yet could produce all of this.

She sighed with regret as she glanced at her watch. "I've got to go."

"I'll come by when you're done and we can see more of what's here. We're playing a baseball game this afternoon."

"Can't wait," Bella lifted onto her toes and raised her face to meet the kiss I planted on her full lips. She had only just disappeared from sight when I realized we'd had a very interested audience.

"Jared and Bella, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes—"

"Shut up!"

I turned around to see Brady, Collin, and Seth. Seth had fists on his hips and a scowl on his face; the other two had syrupy expressions that were starting to fade under the force of his glare. I gave them both a look of my own. Just because most people might have come to the right conclusion about the reason for our short engagement and speedy marriage didn't mean we'd made any kind of public announcement yet, and I wasn't about to let it happen without Bella's say-so, or be done by them, either.

"Sorry," they chorused.

"Why don't you go see if anyone needs help with anything?" I suggested. I tried really hard not to put much force behind the suggestion and was mostly successful.

"Sure," they almost stumbled over each other in their haste.

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Bella POV

I hit the ground running as soon as I got to the food booth. The pack had apparently done a good job of hyping the food, and everyone wanted to sample what we had. And we seemed to have just about everything: tacos, wraps, cookies, cupcakes…

"Bella!" I looked up to see Angela and Ben herding along Angela's younger twin brothers.

"Angela! Ben!" I slipped out of the booth to give her a hug.

"How have you been?" Angela asked as she hugged me back.

"We're doing fine. The morning sickness is getting a little more intense, but otherwise things are good."

"I'm glad."

"How are you two doing? Ready to head off to college?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun," Ben ruffled the hair of his girlfriend's two brothers.

"How about Jared and I have you two over before you leave town?" I offered.

They exchanged glances. "That works for us, if it does for you," Angela agreed.

"We're hungry," Kyle Weber complained. His twin, Keith, echoed him.

"So, what's good?" Ben pulled out his wallet.

"Everything," I giggled, ducking back around to the service side of the counter.

"They don't need much," Angela decreed. "Just a little something to last them until we get home."

I thought for a moment, then pulled out something new. "Try this," I held one out to Angela, "and tell me what you think."

I watched, one lip caught between my teeth, as Angela carefully bit into my latest experiment: brownie on a stick.

"Mmmhmmm," her eyes drifted shut, hiding the blissful look in her eyes. "Yummm."

"Good?" I inquired.

She shook her head. "Good doesn't come close, Bella. Divine, is more like it. You really should, like, sell these or something. You'd make a killing."

"You should try some of these muffins, then. Emily's just as good a cook as I am." Since Angela was still enraptured by her brownie, Ben took care of sampling the muffin. Emily and I both watched intently as he bit, chewed and swallowed, bit, chewed and swallowed.

"I think I'm in love," he announced dramatically.

"With me, of course," Angela gave him a mock punch to the arm.

"Of course, of course," he assured her. Then, "Do you think you can get that recipe?"

"Uh-uh," Emily disagreed. "But you can stop by whenever you're back in town and I can probably make you some."

"Absolutely. Put me down for a standing order. You know," Ben added belatedly, "Ang is right about that. You two really should go into business and sell these all the time."

"Of course I'm right," Angela agreed with her boyfriend. "Remember, Bella, we talked about it a while back? Well, sort-of, anyway."

I thought back, trying to recall the conversation she was referring to. I finally caught it. "Oh, yeah. About how there's not much in the way of dining options around here, besides fast food, the cafe, and the steakhouse."

"Right. I don't think I've _not_ liked anything that either of you has ever cooked. The two of you really _should_ consider a restaurant, or at least a catering service." Angela was very animated as she expounded on her idea. I glanced Emily's way and saw a contemplative expression on her face. Helping out on the reservation like we were doing was nice and all, but didn't offer too much in the way of options.

"It's an interesting idea, Ang." I replied. "We'll talk about it and see what we think."

I had to get back to work, and grabbed another brownie-stick for each of Angela's brothers. She and Ben got the twins moving and waved goodbye to Emily and I as they went.

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We were nearing the end of our shift in the food tent when we caught sight of Sam's head and shoulders moving through the crowd. As usual, he made a beeline for Emily and kissed her deeply, much to the amusement of the audience.

"That's certainly one way to say 'hello,'" a male voice observed. I turned to see yet another unfamiliar person, who must've arrived with Sam. "I'm Daniel. Daniel Matthews." He stuck his hand out and I took it. He looked to be at least in his mid-twenties-although age could be hard to guess, as the pack could prove-and a bit shorter than Sam and the rest of the pack, though he was still a good bit taller than me.

"Bella Sw-Mahan. Bella Mahan." He cocked an eyebrow. "We've only been married for two weeks now, so I'm still getting used to saying the new name."

He gave me a head-to-toe lookover, and I blushed automatically, even though I rationally knew that the pregnancy wasn't really apparent yet. "Congratulations," he offered.

"Thanks."

"You local?"

"My dad's the police chief in Forks, but I grew up in Phoenix with my mom. I moved up a little over a year ago to finish high school. You?"

"You're only 18? Wow, didn't expect that." He shook his head. "I grew up on the Makah Reservation; couldn't wait to escape and go to college when I graduated eight years ago. Actually went straight through and got a master's degree, too."

"In what?" So I'd been right about his age: 26.

"I work in grant funding." Seeing my blatant confusion, he elaborated. "The government gives out lots of grant money and loans to people-especially native tribes-to do practically anything: starting new businesses mainly. But a lot of it doesn't get used because people don't know about it or how to apply for it. So what I do is help them navigate the process."

_Is this a sign or something?_ I wondered. Just a few minutes ago, the idea of starting a restaurant had been tossed out, and now someone who knew the technical ropes just drops into our laps?

"Are you okay?" his tone was full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got distracted by something I remembered."

"Relief's here," I turned, smiling, to see Jared right behind me. His hands came around and pressed into my back until I moved forward. A few whistles and bursts of laughter from the peanut gallery later, we broke apart. Everyone looked pretty amused by our newlywed display, and I never even blushed. Arm wrapped around me, as mine was around him, Jared greeted Daniel.

"Jared Mahan. I guess you've met my wife, Bella."

"I did. Congratulations." Catching the openly appraising look Jared was giving him, Daniel offered a little more information. "I'm from Makah. I knew Emily's late brother-in-law, and of course her sister and little Claire. The tribe asked me to check in and see how they're doing."

"We enjoy having them. Emily and Sam, well, you can see how happy they are, and Claire is quite the charmer." Jared gestured over to where the Alpha and his mate were still wrapped around each other. Courtesies out of the way, he returned his attention to me. "Ready to eat? Your dad's ready-so is everyone else, I think."

"Sure. Where's Leah? She's taking over here."

"Sorry I'm late, Bella." Leah's voice lifted over the crowd. "I got hung up. Give me that apron and you two get out of here."

I peaked past Jared to see Leah's arm extending toward me to claim the apron I was wearing. Jared helped me untie it and I held it out to her. But her fingers didn't grab the fabric and it floated down to the ground. I looked up to see a dumbfounded expression splashed all over her face. Following the line of her gaze back over my shoulder, I realized she was staring at Daniel, and immediately knew what had happened.

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Leah POV

Later on, I would wonder if Bella ever got tired of being right about things, but for now, I was having enough trouble remembering how to breathe. I'd been reaching for the apron Bella had just removed when my eyes caught someone I didn't recognize standing behind her. Instantly, it was like I was standing in a bubble: the noise of the crowd seemed to fade into nothing, as if the only thing around me was…him.

He was native, but not Quileute. A little taller than me—maybe six feet tall. His black hair was longer than mine, pulled back into some kind of ponytail; I couldn't tell how long. He was staring back at me, eyes confused, brow wrinkled; probably wondering what was up with me. To be honest, I was wondering that myself. Then, I remembered. Couldn't believe it had taken this long for the shoe to drop—after all, I'd seen Sam's memories, Jared's, Embry's, Jake's, Quil's, Paul's… I guess I'd just figured it wasn't going to happen for me.

"Sue, maybe you need to take a look at Leah; doesn't look like she feels okay," Charlie Swan's voice popped the bubble and brought everything around me rushing back. My mom gave me her 'nurse' look and I tried to pull myself together.

"Leah, have you had anything to drink lately?" Bella asked me, voice full of concern.

"Uh…I don't know." Man, was I out of it.

"Sue, why don't I see that she gets something to drink before she comes on? Is that okay?" Bella was already starting to shepherd me along.

"Sure," my mom agreed. "Charlie, could you give me a hand until she gets back? If you can handle the cash box, I can do the rest."

"Okay, I think I can manage that. I'll catch up to you later, Bella," Charlie was a little awkward, but gamely headed behind the counter to help my mom.

Sam and Emily seemed to have figured things out and were leading Bella and I away for some privacy. I turned my head just enough so that I could see that Jared was somehow getting the new guy to come along, too.

"You okay, Leah?" Sam asked when our little group was alone. I knew his concern was a mix of personal and pack. "Just breathe deeply."

"Is she alright?" the stranger asked. Why wouldn't someone say his name, so I'd know who he was?

"She will be," Jared assured him.

Bella put a bottle of water in my hand, not letting go until my fingers had tightened around it. I drank deeply, and tried not to stare at him too obviously.

"Leah, this is a visitor from up on the Makah Reservation. His name's Daniel, right?" Bella asked him, and he nodded. "He knew Emily's sister and her husband. Daniel, this is Leah Clearwater. Her mom, Sue, who you saw a few minutes ago, is one of the tribal elders. Leah's dad, Harry, was an elder before he died a few months ago."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks," I managed. "It was his heart." I left out the fact that his heart attack had been precipitated by Seth's and my first phases. I raked my hands back through my cropped hair, trying to push past the inevitable surge of guilt I felt whenever I thought about the day my dad died. Even though I knew, rationally, that my phasing hadn't been deliberate and that what happened hadn't been my fault, still I often felt that it had been.

"Cool tattoo," Daniel commented, like he was trying to ease the somber mood my words had produced. "Is it tribal?"

"In a way," Emily informed him. "Wolves are important here, even more so than where we're from, and some of the younger generation have gotten the same tattoo."

I really struggled not to react when he moved closer to me for a better look.

"Very nice," he offered, and his appreciative glance almost made me blush like Bella.

"Are you only staying for the weekend, or can you stick around longer?" Emily asked Daniel. "I know Alyssa would enjoy getting to spend some time catching up." The sidelong glance she cast my way was actually reassuring. I knew that Emily's real reason for asking was on my behalf.

"I wasn't planning to stay past the weekend, but I could probably manage a few extra days," Daniel said, after thinking for a moment. "It would be nice to reconnect with you both. Alyssa'd probably enjoy the adult conversation, too."

"Probably," Emily laughed, "although Claire's a real chatterbox now."

My relief that he'd be able to stay a while was quickly tempered by the realization that he _would_ leave. How was that going to work, now that I'd gone and imprinted on him? Nervous energy raced through me. As much as part of me had hoped this would happen, an equal part hadn't wanted it, hadn't wanted this uncontrolled life-altering event. I'd spent the past two years dealing with the aftermath of Sam's imprinting on Emily—_Have I just done the same thing to some other girl?_ I was on the verge of panicking at the very thought.

"You feel up to heading back, Leah?" Sam asked. I didn't need the mental pack link to know that he wanted a private chat.

"Sure. Charlie's probably reached his limit of helpfulness by now."

"Emily, if you and the others want to find a good lunch spot, I'll just go and rescue Charlie and be back before you know it." Sam kissed Emily again, then we both headed back the way we'd come.

"How _are_ you doing, really?" Sam stopped and faced me, eyes full of concern.

"I don't know! How could this have happened, Sam? He doesn't even live here! He isn't Quileute!" Words poured out of me in a flood.

"Whoa there," Sam lightly tapped my lip with a finger. "First off, no one ever said an imprint _had_ to be Quileute—Emily and Claire aren't. It's about finding the person who's best for you. You're right that he doesn't live here, and we'll have to figure that part out, I admit. Maybe he'll move down here like Emily did, or maybe you'll move there—I don't know right now."

"How am I supposed to tell him…any of it?"

"We'll figure that part out, too, Lee-lee," Sam dared, for the first time in a very long time, to use his old nickname for me.

"You'd better, O Wise and Powerful Alpha," I lightly punched his arm before resuming our walk back to the food booth where my mom was waiting.

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Bella POV

I was actually a little surprised that Leah went with Sam so willingly; it was my experience that newly imprinted wolves were almost impossible to pry away from the object of their imprinting. When I thought for a moment, however, I figured out what I thought was the reason: she was scared. Two years ago, the first imprinting had turned her life upside down. Even though she'd probably started hoping lately that she would find someone who would mean to her what Emily meant to Sam, Leah had to be nervous about moving on. I should know—after all, hadn't I freaked out when I was first confronted with the idea of moving on after Edward?

It was clear that Daniel didn't yet have a clue of what was going on. I honestly wondered how he would take it. I'd never thought to ask what kinds of legends the Makah had about the supernatural, even though I remembered them having a small part in one of the pack's bonfire stories. For Leah's sake, and for his, I hoped he'd be as adaptable as the other imprints had proved to be.

It was almost as if Jared could sense my concerns. Before we started following the others to get some lunch, he bent down to whisper, "It'll be okay, Bella, don't worry."

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Jared POV

Sometimes it seemed like life kept tossing us one thing after another where imprinting was concerned. While I knew that those of us with imprints had hoped Leah would find someone, the big question had been who it might be. When Leah had still been nasty, before Bella's reality check, most of us had wished her gone, something which Leah herself had sometimes echoed. Sticking around here, with Sam and Emily's love-fest front and center, hadn't been at the top of her list. If we could get the bloodsucker mess resolved, so that we didn't _have _to phase…

It turned out that we didn't have to search for places to sit. Paul and Rachel and Embry and Kim had already grabbed a table. A shortage of chairs was solved by the girls sitting on their guys' laps. Sam caught up to us and introduced everyone to Daniel. When he heard Embry's name, it got a reaction.

"Call? From Makah?"

Embry's face tightened slightly. "My mom is. But I've lived here since I was born."

"We just found out that Embry and I are actually half-brothers," Sam added. "He's going to be officially enrolled in the tribe tomorrow."

Anything else that might have been added was interrupted when Collin tapped my shoulder.

"Sorry, Jared." Brady echoed him, "Sorry."

"At the risk of getting more information than I want, what, exactly, are you sorry for?" inquired Sam.

"Umm…" Both their faces were flaming red.

"We kinda teased Jared a little earlier about kissing Bella." Brady finally admitted.

"Teased, how?" Sam's brow lifted.

"The whole 'sitting in a tree' bit." Seth volunteered on their behalf.

I held my breath, waiting to see how Bella was going to react to this, especially with the dirty laundry incident this morning.

"Kissing in a tree? Don't think we've ever done that," Bella reflected. "Under a tree, yes, but in one? Nope, don't think so."

"And don't get any ideas about trying that any time soon," I insisted.

"Speaking from experience, it can be fun," offered Daniel.

"I'm not saying it wouldn't be," Bella countered, "It's just not a good idea right now."

"Clearly I'm missing something."

"I'm almost three months pregnant," Bella informed him.

Enlightenment. "Hence the wedding at eighteen."

With a total lack of manners and timing, Collin interrupted again. "Bella, we're sorry."

"Are you going to do it again?"

"Nope. Honest."

"Alright then, you're forgiven." A pause. I knew something was coming. "And I need a brownie, one of Emily's streusel muffins, and an orange juice. And a giant soft pretzel with lots of cheese."

"What?" Brady's mouth fell open.

Bella gave them a _look_. "I need a brownie, a streusel muffin, an orange juice, and a giant pretzel with cheese. Consider it the rest of your apology."

"You can bring it to us at the ballfield. It's almost game time." I recommended.

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I know I said this chapter would have the rest of Quileute Days, but this chapter was already at a good length by the time I got through with Jared/Bella, and with introducing Leah and her guy, so the next chapter will pick up where this one leaves off. Please let me know what you think.


	45. New Brothers

AN: Wow, tons of responses in less than 24 hours. Thanks to everyone. I'm glad you're so interested in the Quileute Days and what's going on with the pack. This chapter picks up where the last one left off.

I've now switched out the baby name poll, and the girl one is up on my profile page. You can vote for your top three choices of first name/middle name. Will probably have this poll up until the end of the month.

Sorry for taking so long to get this one up. Had to get back into the swing of things after my vacation, was really tired this week, my muse wasn't cooperating, and my laptop battery took a nosedive. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.

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Jared POV

All of a sudden, it was as if a switch went off.

"What the hell?" Bella burst out.

I wasn't the only one who started looking around, trying to figure out what was going on. Then I realized she was staring at Daniel.

"You've known me all of what, a half hour? An hour? Where do you get off saying 'Hence a wedding at eighteen'? Jared and I's relationship is none of your business. Yes, obviously I was pregnant before we got married, but how dare you sit there and judge me—judge us—like that? Is that what you think? That he only married me because he had to? That my dad pulled out his shotgun? How dare you! Not that it's any of your business, but he asked me to marry him without anyone's influence. Yes, maybe the baby pushed up the timing a little, but he would have asked me one day and I'd've said yes just the same."

Early in her rant, Bella had sprung off my lap before I could register what she was doing. Daniel was staring at her as if she'd sprouted a second head, but the strangled sounds I was hearing suggested that some of my pack brothers and their imprints were having trouble not bursting out laughing. Bella gave one final glare, tossed her head, and stormed off in a rare show of temper.

"We'll talk to her, Jared," Rachel offered, already standing along with Kim and Emily.

I nodded and kept my eyes on Daniel as the three girls headed off after Bella. I was grateful that Leah had left, as she probably would have lost it sometime during Bella's outburst.

"I didn't mean for her to take it that way," Daniel began, clearly guessing that we were all waiting on him.

"I'll say," Paul snorted. "Nice to see I'm not the only one who can set her off."

"I'm not going to apologize for her, because honestly, you did deserve at least some of that, but I will say that she's usually even-tempered. She is a little more emotional now because of the baby, but it was probably mostly the fact that you, a stranger, said aloud what we all know that some people are thinking." I really didn't think that he had meant to set her off, and he couldn't have known that I'd done that already myself today.

"How would you suggest I apologize?" His sincerity was easily apparent.

"Grovel," Paul suggested.

"Much practice?" Daniel shot back.

"Yeah." Paul laughed. "First time I met her, I laughed at something she said, and she hauled off and slapped me. It's pretty funny—she's shy and quiet a lot of the time, but every so often she really breaks out and just does something that blindsides you."

"I'll be sure to remember that." Turning back to me, Daniel inquired, "So what is the real story with the two of you?"

"We met back in March. She was friends with a friend of mine, and we both ended up over at his house at the same time. Neither one of us was exactly looking for a relationship—she was still getting over a bad breakup last fall and I was focused on graduation—but it was one of those bolt-of-lightning things, at least for me. It took a little longer for her, but when it did…I knew I'd be proposing to her at some point, and so did our parents; my mom even gave me a family ring just so I'd have it on hand for the right moment. The pregnancy was a surprise to both of us, but Bella was right on that one—it just sped up a decision that would have come anyway. I know that to others it might seem that we rushed into things, but we really didn't. We both knew what we wanted, and we're happy."

"I have to admit that I admire you. Eighteen's pretty young to be so certain about what you want in life, but my hat's off to you for managing it. Now," Daniel continued, "What should I offer your lovely wife in apology for my lack of manners?"

"I'm the one who should apologize." It didn't surprise me at all that Bella had come back and was trying to make amends; it was her modus operandi, after all.

"No, you were right. I don't know you yet, although I hope that can change some while I'm here, and I had no business making that kind of comment."

"I still shouldn't have gone off on you like that—I can only blame it on hormones."

"You're entitled to feel as emotional as you want to, Bella," Emily linked arms with Bella. "The guys will just have to learn to watch out—which won't hurt them in the least. Actually, they should probably thank you for giving them a head-up for their futures."

"You mean you and the other girls will thank me." Bella giggled.

"That, too." Emily didn't deny it.

"Okay…now that we've got the drama out of the way, can we _please_ go and play some baseball?" Embry reminded us that he was still around and that we had someplace to be.

"Baseball…great." Bella's 'enthusiasm' wasn't exactly overwhelming.

"Not a big sports fan, I take it?" Daniel asked as we all started heading toward the ball field.

"Not really," she admitted.

"I'll see what I can do about keeping you entertained, then. Make my apology that way." Man, if Daniel turned this amount of charm on Leah…

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Bella POV

The more time I spent around him, the better I felt about Daniel and Leah. In a number of ways, he reminded me of Jared, and I had the feeling that Daniel would treat Leah with the same kind of courtesy and intense focus that Jared always had with me.

I actually didn't end up being as bored during the game as I might have thought. It was different from the time I'd watched the Cullens play, but the pack was entertaining in its own way. Even with them deliberately holding back from their enhanced limits, they were still incredibly physical. When the shirts inevitably came off, I couldn't help a sigh of appreciation at the play of Jared's muscles under his tanned skin.

"Wow." My brows rose in stunned amazement at Daniel's comment, before I realized that he was staring at Leah, who must've found someone else to cover for her in the food booth. She was wearing her version of the standard pack look: cut-off shorts and a tank top. While not anywhere near as bulked up as the guys, she'd definitely acquired muscle and tone after becoming a wolf.

"Who is that?" he gaped.

"Leah Clearwater. You met her earlier, remember?" I tried really hard not to laugh.

"Oh, yeah. What else can you tell me about her?" Daniel shifted on the bleacher to better keep her in view; excellent.

"She's about a year older than me, but just graduated this year. She's got a younger brother, Seth; he's fourteen, and he's playing over there." I pointed to where Seth was standing out on the ball field; I wasn't even going to try and guess what position he was playing. "She plays flute—she and Rachel were the musicians at Jared and I's wedding—"

"Is she dating anyone?" he interrupted.

"No." I hesitated, but figured he needed to know and that I could do it without getting emotionally invested. "She did date Sam when she started high school, but he's been with Emily for a couple years now. She's not with anyone. But—she deserves more than a casual fling. Hurt her, and when she's through with you, the guys will take care of what's left."

"I don't want that—either to hurt her or to just have some casual fling. This is crazy—I've only just met her."

"I know all about craziness. Jared and I only met four months ago, mid-March. I never figured myself for being a very impulsive person—that's more my mom's thing than mine—but with Jared, it was all right and natural. I can't imagine my life being any different."

"Hey, Bella!" Jake hopped up the bleachers. "Big appetite?" he asked, taking note of all the food packaging scattered around me.

"Hey, so speaks the walking stomach," I retorted. "I at least have the excuse of eating for two; what's yours?"

"I'm a growing boy," he grinned. "Just wanted to let you know—we're having a little bonfire tonight. Dad wants to tell the stories again. You up for it?"

"Sure. I haven't heard them enough yet. Daniel, would you like to come?" I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that this was the first move in getting Daniel comfortable with the tribe's stories, their reality and relevance to him now.

"Are you sure I'm welcome? I am an outsider, after all."

"I wasn't part of the tribe yet, and they let me come—same for Emily. I think you'll enjoy getting to hear the stories. There's even one that mentions the Makah."

"If you're sure, then that sounds like fun."

"We're in," I confirmed to Jake.

"Great," and he bounded back down the bleachers to join the rest of his team. Daniel continued his mission of getting to know me better. I gathered from a few of his questions that Jared had explained a little after I'd stormed off, and I elaborated a bit more about how our relationship had progressed. In return, he talked a little more about himself. At the end of the game, a lot of people gathered to congratulate the pack, who'd won their game handily. I finally saw Charlie, and belatedly realized he hadn't joined us as planned.

"What have you been up to, dad?" I asked.

He colored up a little. "I ended up staying longer to help Sue."

"Oh, right. Leah was playing in the game. I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together today."

"Me, too. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good overall. Getting sick some, balanced by some cravings, and I'm getting bigger, too."

"You look good, really, Bells. Kinda got that glow."

"Hey, Charlie," Jared, who had snuck up behind me and planted a kiss on my cheek, greeted my father.

"Jared. Taking care of my girl?"

"Always." His next kiss landed on my lips.

"Enough of that, now." Dad complained, good-naturedly.

"Sorry. Wanted to ask if you were up to joining us for brunch tomorrow at my parents'?"

"Sure, I'd like that," Charlie agreed. "Well, hate to run, Bells, but there's a ballgame on tonight I want to catch."

"Go team!"

"Uh-huh," he gave me a quick self-conscious hug and headed back to Forks.

After Charlie had left, Jared leaned close and whispered, "We've got enough time to go home for a little nap before the bonfire."

"A nap, hmm? Sounds nice."

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Leah POV

I was on pins and needles as mom, Seth, and I headed for the bonfire. I knew, from the mindlink, that part of it was my new imprint and my need to be close to him, but I also knew that some of it was nerves at how Daniel might react to what he would learn here tonight. I prayed with every fiber of my being that he would be as accepting as Bella had when Jake had spilled things to her.

"Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf," Billy began, "trouble began in the north with the Makah. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted…" As the story of our ancient chief and his sons continued, I kept my eyes fixed on Daniel. It seemed to me that parts of the story were familiar to him and he was paying close attention. "A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again…"

When the stories were done, it was no surprise that wire hangers, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars appeared—no reason to waste a fire, after all. I took a deep breath and moved to a spot near Daniel. "So what did you think?"

"I think I've heard that before—at least part of it. One of our stories tells of an evil that stalked the tribe, that could move without being seen and that killed many—ravaged them. It was the Quileute wolf-warriors that destroyed the evil and brought peace between the two tribes."

Sam had been listening and shook his head slowly. "That might be how the story is told, but that's not what really happened, Daniel. It wasn't warriors, but wolves, that destroyed the Cold One."

"Cold One? Wolves? How could animals do that?"

"Ordinary wolves couldn't do that, you're right," Jake agreed. "But we aren't ordinary."

Daniel looked from face to face, ending with me. "I hear you all talking, but I don't understand what you're saying, and it seems like I should."

I felt my heart clench. I didn't even want to think of what it might be like if he didn't understand, if he didn't believe. Seth sighed and stood. When he started to strip, Daniel went, "Whoa, now." Seth responded with the long-suffering sigh of a younger brother. "I _would_ like to have clothes to wear when I'm done, okay?"

Daniel, and Bella I noticed, had their eyes on Seth; everyone else watched Daniel. With that well-familiar tingle, Seth phased. As his brain absorbed what had just happened, Daniel fell off the log with a thump. Seth took a step closer, wagged his tail like a dog might, and tilted his head to the side, as if asking, "Well?"

Looking from the pile of clothes to Seth and back again, Daniel murmured, "You're a wolf?"

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Jared POV

Leah's tension was almost palpable. I could definitely understand the feeling, having been through the imprinting and subsequent revelations myself.

"The guys here are," I answered him. I rolled up the sleeve of my t-shirt to reveal my tattoo; most of the others also shifted to show theirs.

"'Wolves are important,'" Daniel quoted Emily's words from earlier today. "Right."

"It's not every member of the tribe—only those descended from Taha Aki have the ability to become werewolves. And even then, it takes being old enough and having the trigger present for the change to begin." Anticipating the next, obvious, question, I continued, "The presence of a Cold One starts the fever. We put on height and bulk, our temperature goes up, our tempers get short, then we phase."

"Cold One?"

"Also known as a vampire," Bella got that one. I made a mental note to ask her later what she'd thought about watching Seth phase. Now that I thought about it, I didn't think she'd had much opportunity to notice things when Paul, Jake, and I had phased that first day, and I didn't recall her being around during anyone's phases since.

"Werewolves and vampires. Emily?"

"I know it's a lot to take in. Believe me, I know. But it's the truth. They become wolves to protect their tribe, and other innocents, from danger." Emily was carefully but decisively working to deal with her friend's questions.

Daniel looked over at the adults. "Are you…?" They all shook their heads.

"After our time," Old Quil said, with evident regret. Daniel's gaze shifted around the circle, taking in the guys and girls sitting around the fire.

"Is it just the guys here?"

"And me," Leah said quietly. "I'm the only _lucky_ one." A trace of the bitterness she'd one exhibited was apparent in her voice, and her hand rubbed restlessly over her tattoo. Daniel looked at her for a long moment, before her gaze dropped. Her hands clenched and unclenched several times, before she abruptly stood, vaulted over the log, and vanished into the trees. No one said or did anything. Daniel took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and followed her.

"Sam," Sue whispered, her mother's instincts aching for her daughter's obvious distress.

"We have to believe that the spirits know what they're doing with this imprint," he replied heavily. Sam knew, better than anyone, how much Leah had been hurt before; she didn't deserve anything more. I really, really hoped that Daniel was as level-headed as he seemed to be—Leah was probably freaking out over all of this.

"Support them both as much as you can, but don't interfere," Billy requested, before asking Jake, Paul, and Rachel to help him home.

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"So what did you think?" I asked Bella, as we walked home.

"About what? Leah imprinting? Daniel's reactions so far? Seth?" Bella's tone was impish.

"Ha ha," I snorted. "About all of it, I guess."

"Well, watching the change was definitely something. I guess I didn't really get the chance to notice much last time, and even now I can't really describe it. It's incredible, though." Bella was reflective now. "I'm happy for Leah, but worried too, if that makes sense."

"Yeah. She's scared, isn't she?"

"Just like I was," Bella stopped and turned to face me. Even in the darkness, I could still glimpse her face. "An imprint cost her Sam, and that hurt, and her dad died when she became a wolf, and that hurt more. She's got to be terrified that it will happen again: that he'll resent her because of the mystical part of the imprint, and that he'll be disgusted by her being a wolf. We have to be there for them, just like Billy said. You and I, Sam and Emily especially. Nobody else's imprints have been anywhere near as complicated as our and theirs."

"We will, Bella." I promised. "Whatever they need that we can help with. But Billy was right, too, about giving them privacy and space, just like the others did for us Most of it will be for Leah and Daniel to figure out for themselves. Now, Mrs. Mahan, we both need to get some sleep. Can't be yawning through Embry's induction tomorrow."

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Bella POV

We ran late getting to brunch at Jared's parents' place, because of me getting sick yet again. I'd definitely noticed it getting worse the past few days. I ended up just resting on the couch with some crackers and Sprite in hand.

"We can stay home if you'd rather," Jared offered as he swapped out the rag for my forehead.

"No," I declined. "I want to be there for this, and I want to see how Leah's doing, too. I'll take it easy today, I promise."

Savannah and Drew ended up riding with us, while Charlie walked over with Jared's parents. I noticed her smile shyly before ducking her head to hide a blush when Jake was one of the ones to meet us in the parking lot. "Got a nice shady spot staked out for you, Bella," he announced. "Hey Jared, Drew. Savannah." Drew gave a distracted wave as he dashed off to join his friends, but Savannah looked up at him through her lashes, and I'd swear Jake about melted into a gooey puddle.

Quite a few people were gathered for the ceremony. Jared had explained to me that it was more of a legal recognition. A lot of the spiritual/mystical aspects would have to wait for this winter, according to custom.

"The Quileute tribe has always been a small tribe," Billy began once silence had fallen. "But we have always been a proud people. Today, we grow larger as a lost child of our tribe seeks to take up the mantle of his heritage. Embry Call, step forward."

I watched as Embry approached the trio of elders. His head was held high and he walked with confidence. I was proud of the small part I'd played in bringing him to this moment.

"Embry Call, you come before us seeking membership in the sovereign Quileute Nation. By what right do you claim this?" Old Quil asked formally.

"By right of blood," Embry replied. "My father was of your tribe, and so I am half Quileute. I have lived all of my life among this tribe, and want to take my place here officially and openly."

"Your father was…?" Billy asked, for the audience's enlightenment rather than that of the elders or the pack.

"Joshua Uley." A murmur raced through the crowd at that.

"Samuel Uley," Sue asked, "do you accept Embry Call's claim of brotherhood with you?"

Sam stood and moved until he was side-by-side with Embry. "I do, Elder Clearwater," he affirmed. "Blood tests have been done, and prove beyond doubt that Embry is my brother. I claim him openly and proudly."

At Billy's gesture, Embry stepped forward and handed over the envelope he'd brought, the same one that the test result had arrived in. The elders examined it as a formality before handing it back.

"Embry Call, with the evidence presented by you, and confirmed by the testimony of your mother, it is our privilege and honor to accept your petition for membership. From this day forward, let all here and throughout the land, welcome and acknowledge Embry Call as a member of the Quileute Nation, with all the rights and privileges accompanying that status."

Sam stepped up to join the other elders briefly, before returning to Embry and presenting him with a red and black woven blanket. "Let us welcome our new brother," Sam announced. Instantly, the rest of the pack were on their feet, moving to surround the two. After a moment, Embry appeared over the crowd, having been hoisted up onto someone's shoulders. As they started to parade him around the center of the circle, I could see that it was Paul and Jake holding him up. They set him down in front of Kim, who reached up and kissed him in front of everyone.

"So that's what was going on the other day?" Laura asked from her place beside me.

"Yeah. They did the blood test a while back and found out the truth. Embry decided he wanted it to be out in the open."

"How has everyone taken it?"

"They're glad to know the truth. I think not knowing was really bugging everyone." This didn't really scratch the surface, but was true, nonetheless.

I noticed Jared was hovering a little more than usual today; I hoped he wasn't going to go overboard. Sue must've noticed, too.

"Leah," she asked. "Could you keep an eye on Bella? I've got to take care of some tribal business right now."

"Sure." She and Daniel started walking with Jared and I back toward the car.

"I'm taking Bella home so she can rest before the closing ceremonies tonight. You two can come if you want," Jared told them. "I'm sure you both probably have a lot of questions right now. Bella and I will be happy to answer anything we can. We both have a pretty good idea of how you're feeling right now." A pair of nods, and they got into the back seat.

Once in the apartment, Jared got me installed on the sofa with my requisite drink and munchies. He joined me as Daniel and Leah took the adjoining loveseat.

"How are you two doing?" I asked.

"I'm trying to process it all," Daniel started off.

"It is a lot to take in, especially all at once," I agreed. "Been there, done that."

"I can accept the idea of wolves, mostly. After all, it's in the legends, and I've heard mine before, even if I didn't believe everything at the time."

"I hear you," Jared agreed. "We'd grown up hearing our stories, too, and didn't really believe all of it until it actually happened to each of us. Most of it is needing to keep the secret; only those who absolutely have to know can know, and that means not talking about it openly. Parents, extended family…even future pack members haven't been told anything until they actually phased, even when we could see it coming."

"And this imprint thing? How did you deal with that?"

"Mostly, like we said yesterday. For me, it was instant—like the earth shifting on its axis. It took a little longer for Bella."

I continued where Jared had left off. "I'd been hurt pretty badly in the past, and it took a while for me to be brave enough to risk opening up and trusting him. Jared was amazing about giving me all the time I needed, and not moving faster than I was ready for. He's done everything he could to make things easy for me and being whatever I needed."

"The same is true for you and Leah," Jared continued for me, addressing Daniel. "Obviously, the powers that be feel that the two of you are each exactly what the other needs. And whatever that means, from friendship to…more, as long as you both are happy with it, then that is the only thing that matters."

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Well, I hope you liked it. If there's interest, I might do a stand-alone one-shot covering Leah and Daniel's conversation after the bonfire. I'm wary of doing it as a chapter or part of a chapter within this story, as I don't want to get off-track—this is after all a Jared/Bella story.


	46. Watch Out

AN: Thanks for all the reviews and comments. The girl baby name poll will be up on my profile page until the end of the month, so feel free to vote on your top 3 choices if you haven't voted already.

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Bella POV

At the start of the closing ceremony for the Quileute Days events, Billy Black had reiterated Embry's newly confirmed membership in the tribe—for the benefit of anyone who might not have attended the ceremony earlier, I supposed. Much to my surprise, he had also welcomed me. Jared had helped me stand up when Billy had asked me to, so that everyone could get a good look at me. I'd valiantly resisted the urge to blush at being the center of attention and had smiled shyly.

"Is it okay if we…?" Jared whispered. I knew what he meant, and hesitated for a moment while I thought about it; then, I nodded. It wasn't like they wouldn't figure it out really soon anyway, and maybe this way I wouldn't bite the head off the next person who said or implied something, like I'd done with Daniel yesterday.

"Elder Black, for both myself and my family, I thank you for your welcome to my wife. Bella and I would like to thank you and everyone for all your help and support in recent weeks, as we have planned and begun our life together. We also want to take this opportunity to announce to you all that our tribe will grow yet again, in addition to Embry and Bella." He lifted our joined hands and pressed a light kiss to my fingers. "Early next year, Bella and I will be welcoming our first child."

I wasn't exactly expecting the wave of applause from our audience. Jared let go of my hand and I moved into his hug. Looking up into his eyes, I said, yet again, "I love you."

"As I love you," he replied, and kissed me, regardless of the observers surrounding us.

"I still want to babysit," Savannah insisted, darting forward from her place among the family and seizing the opportunity to press her case again.

"You're on, sis," Jared laughed, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"Hey, quit that. Somebody, help!" she squealed, squirming away from her elder brother.

"Need a hand?" Jake swooped in to stand beside his imprint. I'd seen Savannah making a few moves lately in Jake's direction, and casually reclaimed Jared's hand to give a subtle squeeze.

"Okay, okay, call off the bodyguard, I'll leave the hair alone," Jared met Jake's eyes briefly. We took our seats again, and the ceremony moved on. I leaned against Jared's side and his arm cradled me close against him. I closed my eyes and just let the Quileute lyrics of the songs and the rhythm of the instruments wash over me.

Before the fireworks began, Jared and I were surrounded, much as Embry had been earlier today. People both familiar and not gave hugs and congratulations, and offered maternity and baby clothes, furniture, and so much more that I didn't catch.

Before we headed for home, Embry stopped us with a hand on my shoulder. "Got a minute?"

"Sure, Embry. Something on your mind?" I glanced at Jared, and he stepped away and started talking to Kim.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Embry began.

"You don't have to—" I started.

"Yes, I do. What happened here today, it's because of you. Bella, we'd been wondering about this for years," Embry's words were pouring out in a gush. "Years, and yet we never did anything about it. You come into the picture, and in mere weeks you've got us facing the issue and getting tested, and…"

I reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "Embry, I'm sure that you guys would have done something eventually. Okay, so maybe I had a little bit to do with it, but I don't deserve all your credit—so does Leah, for one," I teased.

He gave a short burst of laughter. "Leah. Yeah. Anyway, I just wanted you to know I'm grateful, and welcome to the tribe." Embry leaned down and gave me a quick hug.

"You hug your woman, I'll hug mine," Jared suggested. "Welcome to the tribe, bro."

"Thanks."

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Jared POV

I left the apartment Monday morning and headed downstairs. On my way, I flipped open my cell phone and called Emily.

"Would you mind stopping by and seeing Bella?" I asked once she answered.

"Sure. Is anything wrong?"

"The vomiting today was the worst yet. Emily, it kills me that she has to go through this." I ran my free hand through my hair in frustration.

"I'll call in and let them know that Bella and I won't be in today. We'll have a nice girl's day."

After we'd ended the call, I got moving again and went into the store.

"Rough morning?" my mom observed, her radar clearly in working order.

"You could say that. I'm definitely in the doghouse right now."

"Okay, sweetie, get it off your chest. What was your oops?"

"She always runs into the bathroom first thing to throw up. I was _trying_ to be helpful and make it so she didn't have to worry about flipping the seat up first."

"Sounds reasonable, but I'm taking it that Bella didn't see it that way?"

I snorted. "Well, she might have appreciated it more if she hadn't had to use the bathroom during the night."

My mom gave a sympathetic wince. "I can see why she wouldn't be happy."

"Oh, she's not—and said so in no uncertain terms."

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Bella POV

Emily showed up not too long after Jared had left for work. "He called me," she explained. Emily came over to the bed and laid a hand on my forehead. "Pretty bad, huh?"

"Sue had better be right about this ending soon. I don't know how much more of it I can take."

"Well, today we're going to try to take your mind off of anything unpleasant. Today is Girls' Day." Almost on cue, I heard the door opening again, and the sound of voices and footsteps.

"Your support network is here," Kim announced from my bedroom doorway. I gingerly shifted into a more upright position, and looked to see that Leah and Rachel were there, too.

I smiled in gratitude. Sometimes it was hard to remember that I hadn't known any of them for very long—no longer than I'd known Jared, as a matter of fact.

"But what about—" Emily didn't even let me get it all out.

"I called in. They understand and hope you feel better soon." After taking another look at me, Emily continued. "You know, Jared sounded really worried about you when he called me earlier."

My eyes narrowed a bit. "He ought to be worried about himself," I muttered. Instantly, the other girls had joined Emily and me, perching on the end of the bed.

"Okay, what did he do?" Leah asked.

"It was the middle of the night and I had to pee. I got into the bathroom in the dark, because I wanted to be able to go back to sleep after. So I sat down, and went further than I expected. _He left the seat up!_"

"Eew," they all winced in sympathy.

"So you…?" Kim asked.

"Shrieked, for one thing. Scared Jared. Then yelled at him."

"Personally, I'd say he deserved it," Rachel snickered. "I've done the same thing to Jake in the past when he forgot to put the seat down."

"Yeah. And then, as if that weren't enough, the morning sickness was terrible today. Needless to say, I'm not in the best mood right now."

"Then we will just have to change that." Rachel decreed. "Chick flicks, we'll paint our nails, and totally wreck any and all diets with lots of junk food."

"Umm," however good that sounded, I knew that I at least shouldn't indulge that way.

"Don't worry, Bella," Leah assured me. "We're taking care of you today, remember? We'll make sure you eat what you need to, and then you can indulge. One day of not-so-healthy eating won't hurt. My mom's a nurse, remember, so I do know what I'm talking about."

"There's a little more to it than that, isn't there?" Emily commented.

"Okay, so I listen and learn for myself, too." Leah shrugged dismissively.

"Are you thinking of going into nursing, Leah?" I inquired. It was a little odd, but only a little, how we hadn't really talked about plans and dreams. Understandable, I supposed, in light of the limbo we were all in until the vampire problem was solved, but still odd.

"We have all day to chat," Emily said. "Bella, do you feel up to a bath or shower while we get things ready?"

As crappy as I felt right now, the idea of getting cleaned up really sounded good. "A bath, I think."

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Ensconced on the couch a while later, I actually found that I was enjoying this opportunity to hand myself over to the others to be pampered. _Monster-in-Law_ was in the DVD player, and I had a bowl of fruit salad in my lap. Healthy first, as Leah had said.

We picked up our conversation from earlier after the movie was done. Leah was looking into something in the medical field, "But maybe different from my mom." Rachel related that she was looking into finding a job with a newspaper. "Or my dad might find me something with the tribe short-term." Kim still wanted to go into education, but was looking into taking her basic classes locally. "It'll be cheaper to do that and then transfer to a state school to finish my degree," she explained. "Plus, by that time, Embry will have graduated and we can make plans."

I should have expected them to turn the tables on me. "What about you, Bella?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I hadn't thought too much about college or what I might do." I admitted.

"Do you think you might do anything with Angela's idea?" The question came from Leah. I wondered about that, since she hadn't arrived at the food booth until later. "Daniel mentioned it," Leah added.

I exchanged another glance with Emily. "It's interesting," I confessed, "but I wouldn't have the faintest idea how to do it."

"_We_ don't, but it seems like Daniel might." Emily mused.

"I'm sure he'd offer some advice, if we asked," Leah promised.

"So how is he taking things?" I asked her, although I'm sure all of us were curious.

"Better than I expected. But I don't know what'll happen or how we'll work it all out…"

"I don't think any of us do," Rachel agreed. "But we'll all be here for each other while we find out."

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Laura popped upstairs a little before lunch to see how I was doing. Her relaying of Jared's explanation for the toilet seat helped my mood a little more, but I still wasn't quite ready to proclaim him forgiven. I had ideas. He stopped in for a few minutes, too, but didn't stay too long in proximity to this much estrogen.

After lunch, we opted to watch the newest version of _Pride and Prejudice_ and to put my plans into action. I pulled out my cell phone and called Jared's—Laura had promised me that she'd make sure he had it on him.

"Jared, love?"

"Bella!" his voice was relieved. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so. I was wondering…"

"Do you need anything?" Bingo.

"I've been very good today about eating healthy, and I'm in the mood for something indulgent. Could you bring me some ice cream?"

"Sure. What flavor?"

"Umm…chocolate?" Leah flicked me lightly with a finger. I'd have to pace this out and not have too much fun this soon.

"Be right up." Jared was as good as his word, arriving in just a minute or two with a couple of quart containers of chocolate ice cream.

"Thank you." Throughout the rest of the movie, I kept calling with more requests: vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, rocky road, cookies-n-cream, mint chocolate chip…

By the end of the movie, Jared had caught on. "Bella…"

"Yes?" I smirked, just a little.

"I'm sorry, I really am." He dropped down onto the floor at my feet. I heard, but didn't really register, the others leaving the room to give us some privacy. "I just wanted to help—"

"I know. Your mom explained. I probably overreacted again, but—"

"I deserved it. My mom was in on this, right?"

I giggled. "Yep."

"Have any of that ice cream left?"

"Here you go," Emily reappeared and offered him a bowl.

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The bad nausea seemed here to stay. It only took a day or so for me to just start keeping a trashcan right beside the bed, so that I wouldn't have to run all the way into the bathroom. The advantage—if it could be called that—was that Jared could go back to leaving the toilet seat down like he was supposed to, to help with my increasingly frequent nighttime visits.

It amazed me that my belly could keep growing, with as little as I seemed to be able to keep down at times. Jared was constantly offering me one thing after another, trying to help. Often, though, the best thing seemed to be when he'd spoon behind me, the way we'd often done in my bedroom at Charlie's and cover my stomach with his hand. The higher temperature was even better than a heat pack. More than once, I almost thought I felt tears dropping into my hair or onto my neck, as Jared tenderly rubbed his hand over my belly.

I hoped that these moments made up for some of the others. I was probably driving Jared crazy. I knew it, hated it, and couldn't help it. I'd once accused Edward of giving me whiplash with his moods wings; my own, now…I bounced from happy to sad, to excited to scared, to calm to angry, like a ball in a pinball machine.

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Jared POV

By the end of July, my temper was pretty raw with just about everyone except for Bella—and I could never be angry with my imprint. My parents were really amazing with their support, like not saying anything it I was late getting downstairs. My mom tried to explain from a woman's perspective what Bella was going through, and why she was reacting in certain ways. My dad offered suggestions from his own experiences. Sam, on the other hand, hadn't been able to help an "I told you so". I was realistic enough with myself to admit that he was right—marriage, or at least pregnancy, _was_ more complicated than I'd once thought, even with the help of the imprinting. Some in the pack seemed to be taking a gleeful sadistic pleasure in watching me squirm. I tried not to snap back too much, knowing that they'd find out for themselves one day.

Out of the blue one day, Charlie called me and asked if I wanted to try for that father-in-law/son-in-law fishing trip we'd never been able to schedule. I knew that my mom had been wanting to spend some time with Bella, so I knew my beloved would be well looked after.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I agreed. "I think I could swing Saturday, if that works for you."

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For being a member of a historically fishing-oriented tribe, I hadn't done as much of it as one might have expected. I'd done my fair share, of course, but had often preferred to play sports or videogames, or just run around. It turned out to be really relaxing to just sit in the boat and toss out the line.

"You two doing okay?" Charlie was a little awkward, as Bella had said he usually was about emotional stuff, but clearly determined to make sure we were doing alright.

"I think so. We seem to be settling in alright. I think it probably helps that my parents made sure I helped out around the house growing up. Bella has enough to deal with being pregnant, without having to fuss over me—not that she doesn't try to anyway, of course."

"She's like that," Charlie agreed. "She moved in and right off the bat took over the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning…as if I hadn't done it for years on my own." He shook his head and twitched his fishing pole. "How is she feeling?"

"Not too good right now," I admitted. I didn't want to share too much, since I was pretty sure Bella herself hadn't, but he was her dad, after all. "She's really battling the morning sickness that Sue warned about. Did her mom go through that?"

Charlie's eyes lost focus for a minute as he thought back nearly twenty years. "She was sick some, but I don't remember it being too bad. But then, not too much ever fazed Renee. She just seemed to roll with whatever happened."

"Well, I hope that's true for Bella, too. Sue says it shouldn't last too much longer. Anyway, how are you doing, Charlie? Sorry we haven't been around much."

"That's okay, you two need time together. Besides, I've been spending a lot of extra time at work lately anyway."

Something about the way he said that made my instincts start to light up. "Some trouble around?" I asked as casually as I could.

"Not right around here, thankfully. Sure am glad those animals or whatever was killing those campers and hikers seems to have moved on." I couldn't quite share his relief completely, since I knew exactly what it _had_ been. I must've pushed it to the back of my mind lately, but I felt a renewed sense of concern at why that bloodsucker Victoria had been so absent lately, especially since she'd been so persistent earlier.

"So what is it, then, or can you say?"

"Sure. It's just a city problem, and I'm hoping it doesn't spread." When I didn't interrupt or ask questions, he kept going. "Seattle is really having some problems right now. Maybe gang trouble, but they don't really know. Just that some people have gotten killed and some more are missing. No patterns or connections, so it just looks random. But—" he looked at me intently, "keep my little girl away from there, okay?"

"Definitely," my answer was fervent. Fortunately for my sanity, our fishing trip was over by dinnertime, having produced a good catch overall, which Charlie would take over to Sue's. I was in no way inclined to invoke Bella's wrath by bringing any of the fish home with me. Of course, I didn't head straight home—I needed to get this information to the pack.

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_Hey, Jared, what's up?_ Quil was bouncing along, full of energy. I could see that he'd spent the afternoon with Claire, and couldn't help a snort when he remembered how she'd insisted on playing 'Beauty Shop' and using him as her test subject.

_Didn't you look cute?_

_Whatever. What's up?_ He repeated.

_Charlie said some stuff about Seattle. Looks like there's a real problem there._

Quil howled and the minds of the others soon joined us. Paul grumbled about having his dinner with Rachel interrupted; Brady and Collin shot back that he should be grateful he'd gotten to eat already. I relayed what Charlie had mentioned; everyone was silent and thoughtful once I had: Paul, Embry, and I most of all. Other than the change in location, what Charlie had described seemed all too familiar to us.

_Could it be her?_ Embry wondered, naturally thinking of Victoria, our longtime irritant.

We all considered that. The whole vampires-in-Seattle thing had been a small but annoying niggle that we'd never addressed. We'd never gone back to do any investigating even after Embry and I had killed one and Paul had scented a couple more. Sam had deemed the first problem dealt with, and there was no proof that the ones in July hadn't just been passing through—what Bella had referred to as 'nomads'.

_Could be. Might explain why she hasn't been seen here lately._ Jake reasoned.

_But why?_ Collin asked.

_More people,_ Leah replied, then gagged at the implication of her words. No one said anything, because we were all doing the same thing. It did make gruesome sense, unfortunately. There were a lot more people in Seattle than on the Olympic Peninsula, so she and any vampire with her would have more chances to hunt and kill. Plus, we weren't there.

_Should we do something?_ Brady asked of Sam. _Can we let those people die?_

_Can we let the people **here** die, if we go running off?_ Seth shot back.

Sam paced restlessly around our circle. We could follow the tracks his thoughts were taking. Part of him—a large part—agreed with Brady. If we knew that there were people in danger, and didn't do anything to try and stop it, then didn't that make us just as guilty as the ones actually doing the crimes? But another—even larger—part of him was aligned with Seth's way of thinking: our first priority was protecting the people here, our tribe and our imprints, and my wife and unborn child.

_It goes without saying that we try to protect everyone we can,_ Sam began, _but sometimes we have to accept that we can't protect them all and that hard choice have to be made. Our duty is here most of all._ For the first time in a while, he thought back to the beginning, when he'd had no choice but to hurt Leah and leave her to be with Emily; he'd regretted her pain, but hadn't been able to avoid causing it. And for the first time, Leah didn't snap back at him about it; clearly, having an imprint of her own now had helped her to understand things on a more personal level.

Finally he stopped his pacing and spun around to face us. _There's really nothing we can do right now. We'll continue to patrol and to monitor and see what develops._

Not everyone was happy about it, but the Alpha had spoken and his word was final. On my way home, I stopped in the store to grab the latest Seattle paper. I hadn't been following the news much, something that clearly needed to change.

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AN: Thanks to reviewer happykitty95 for the toilet suggestion.


	47. Unpleasant Thoughts

AN: Glad that you all found Jared's oops and Bella's response so funny. Hope you also enjoyed/appreciated the reminder that there's still drama out there. To everyone asking "that question": be patient; I promise that I will actually answer it one of these days.

Sorry that I didn't meet the weekend deadline I hoped for. I ended up having to redo part of the chapter and push a few things back to the next chapter. Add in being tired and having to do some rereading for plot/timeline consistency, and I wasn't as prompt as I meant to be (but did aid in avoiding an 'oops' of my own); I also ended up tweaking the end of the last chapter as well. I hope that the delay is worth it and this chapter meets expectations.

Thanks to everyone who voted for baby names. We'll all have to wait and see if/when Bella and Jared decide to be enlightened and whether they will share that information.

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Jared POV

I slipped into the apartment quietly, hoping that my extreme lateness for dinner wasn't about to land me in trouble. I wasn't exactly looking forward to sharing the content of this pack meeting, not to mention I had some reading to do that I didn't really want to explain to her; I would if she asked me, but I was hoping to avoid it—I knew how she'd react to this. A pair of lamps was lit in the living room, and I could see the top of Bella's head over the back of the couch. The TV was on, but the volume was turned down low. Heading that way, wolf-quiet, I found that I needn't have bothered—Bella was sound asleep, curled up against the couch's arm. The book lying beside her was evidence that she'd tried to stay awake while waiting for me to get home.

I was glad that her body was taking care of her and the baby, making sure she got the rest she needed. I crept into the kitchen and saw some dirty dishes in the sink. Good, she hadn't waited on me to have something to eat. Relieved that I wouldn't have to wake her for food, I carefully lifted Bella up from the couch and carried her into the bedroom. She'd changed into comfy clothes since I'd seen her this afternoon, so I just laid her on the bed and covered her up. Feather-light, I brushed a kiss to her hair before retreating back to the living room. With as much care as I'd ever exercised in sneaking around the last couple years, I unfolded the newspaper and started to read.

…**39 linked homicides and disappearances in the last three months alone…every victim burned…bones crushed and snapped…six homicides in the first month, 11 in the second, 22 in the last 10 days…**

_Crap, I didn't realize it was this bad!_ I thought, folding the paper back up and setting it on the table. It slid off the edge onto the floor, but I barely noticed. I'd mention this to Sam, if he hadn't heard already, but I knew it wouldn't change anything—our duty was here and there were too many innocents and imprints at risk to even think about going anywhere else. Maybe we hadn't been giving the Cullens the full credit they deserved. However much we might hate the basics of what they were, no one around here had ever died at their hands.

Powering on our computer, I found the Seattle newspaper's website and started searching for prior articles on the murders and disappearances. I found more than I wanted to, and a fairly good view of what had been going on in Seattle for a while, even before Bella and I had gone there. The murder rate was a bit higher for the year so far than it had been last year or the year before (probably what had caught Charlie's attention as a cop). There were some people who'd been reported missing, mostly on the good side of society, but there were probably more missing that no one had noticed yet, those on the fringes. What really sent a chill down my spine was one of the missing who hadn't been overlooked. His name was Riley Biers, and he was local: a college junior from Forks who'd disappeared one rainy night early last year.

"Jared? What are you looking at?" Bella's sleepy voice behind me had me squirming.

"Um," I fought the instinctive response to blank the computer screen and instead turned in my chair and saw that she'd pulled my robe on over her pajamas. A big part of me wanted to do anything and everything to avoid saying anything, but a more realistic part of me knew that this wasn't really possible: she was my imprint and if she needed answers then that was what I needed to give her. Besides, trying to weasel out of this wouldn't win me any points with my pregnant wife.

I held out my hand and after she took it I settled her onto my lap. "While we were fishing earlier today, your dad mentioned some disappearances and…deaths…in Seattle lately. The pack met up a little while ago and we think they may be connected with the vampires we've smelled in the city a few times recently." My voice was quiet, and as calm as I could make it.

Bella's only reaction was a soft gasp, and to bury her face in my neck. "What are you going to do?" she whispered.

"Sam decided we'd just watch. Our first priority is here. We can't risk putting the reservation at risk by running halfway across the state." My arms closed around her protectively.

"But," Bella began.

I hugged her tightly. "I know. We don't like it, believe me. It really cuts deep to know that there are people in danger and that we aren't acting. But there's too much at risk here to take the chance. What if it was a trap to lure us away so she could attack here?" I never even considered trying to pretend we didn't suspect who was responsible—Bella would see right through me in an instant if I even tried.

"So, what? She can't get to me, so she's taking it out on innocent people? I can't—that's not—" Bella's voice rose, her breathing quickened, and I could feel her heart rate increase. Her body began to tremble in my embrace, as I felt a drop or two hit the skin of my neck. Finally, after months of astounding strength, Bella finally gave way. Her entire body began to shake with wrenching sobs. My gut tightened at this evidence of her pain, but all I could do was hold her.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I whispered, pressing kisses to her hair. I murmured all the reassurances I could think of, but it was a long time before she said anything.

"It's—it's not your f-fault, I know that." Her voice wobbled. "I don't blame you—any of you. I know Sam's looking out for everyone, including me. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." She lifted her head to look at me. "But if something changes…?"

"If we can take action in Seattle without leaving gaps in coverage here, I'm sure Sam will be willing to authorize the move." I framed her face with my hands. "Bella, I swear that we'll protect everyone we can—but you are and always will be my first priority. I love you more than I can possibly express—both of you." And then, because I didn't know what else I could do, I moved my arms to cradle Bella from underneath, and carried her back to our bedroom. I tried to make each touch as gentle as possible against her sensitized skin, each caress a proclamation of my love for her.

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Bella POV

I surfaced from my night's sleep into a pleasant post-lovemaking lassitude. For the first time in a while, I felt pretty good this morning. Cracking open my eyes, I saw that Jared was gone, a note propped on his pillow.

**_Bella, love,_**

**_You looked so beautiful, I couldn't bear to wake you up to say goodbye. There's a box of your cereal on the counter and some fresh fruit's in the fridge. I'm right downstairs if you need anything. I'll see you at lunch._**

**_Love, Jared_**

I munched on a few crackers as I headed into the bathroom. Showered and dressed in loose pants and one of Jared's shirts, I headed into the kitchen for my promised breakfast. Carefully lowering myself into a chair, I felt a rustling under my foot. I looked down and saw a newspaper lying under the table, as if it had slid off and been forgotten. Curious, I slid off my chair and down to the floor to pick it up. It was yesterday's Seattle Times and the headline on the front page was a blow to my chest.

**Seattle Terrorized By Slayings.**

I curled into a ball and shook silently as last night's conversation came rushing back. It was only with the greatest effort that I kept the paper from shaking as I read. _So many!_ Men, women, teens; all snatched at night, some from public places, some from their own homes. _Why is this happening?_ Well, I knew, somewhat. A psychotic vampire wanted me dead and didn't care what she had to do to get what she wanted. The realization that she was never going to stop on her own and seemed to almost be uncatchable made me feel like I was in the middle of a raging ocean storm, fighting to keep my head above the waves but sinking lower and lower. For a moment, I was shot back in time to last fall, to those first horrible days after Edward had left, when I had been all alone. _You're not alone, Bella. I'll always be here for you._ Jared's promise, first spoken nearly five months ago and often repeated since, was like a lifeline, a boat I could rest in, sheltered from the storm. Remembering that allowed me to calm down, almost as if Jared was holding me in his arms again.

_What a difference a year makes_, I thought once I surfaced from my momentary panic. _And yet no difference at all._ Last spring, I'd run to Phoenix to keep my dad and the people of Forks safe from James; I'd slipped away from Alice and Jasper and run to James to try to save my mom. Now…I was being forced to accept that running wasn't the answer—that there was no answer. There wasn't anything that _I_ could do. Being helpless wasn't what I wanted, but, _It's not just you anymore_. I had to trust that Sam knew what he was doing, that he was making the best plans he could. I knew that he hated seeing people hurt, and that if there were any other way to do what he had to do, then he would.

I was struck yet again by the differences between Jared and Edward. I knew full well that if their places were to be reversed, Edward would not have acted the way Jared had. I knew that he would have kept the truth from me, under the guise of 'protecting' me. Edward would never have wanted me to know about the events in Seattle and would have found some way to avoid telling me—I loved Jared all the more for not having even tried anything like that; sure, the impetus of the imprinting might have been involved, but he also knew me and respected me in ways that Edward never had.

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Over the next week, I came to figure out that Jared seemed to have organized a conspiracy of distraction among our friends, particularly for times when the pack was out on patrol. The dynamic of those imprint sessions had definitely shifted with Daniel's inclusion among our number. I was amazed at how he'd altered his life and plans just in the short time since meeting Leah, even though he'd tried to downplay it.

"I tend to move around a lot," he'd said. "Partly it's been for school, but also for experience in different places. I'm close enough that I can visit home easily when I want, so it's not a hardship staying here. I know Leah needs to be here, so here's where we'll be."

He'd spent a lot of time with Emily and me in particular. It turned out that he'd caught Angela's comment at the celebrations, about us starting a business or restaurant, and answered every question we had, and more we didn't know to ask. Our best option, Daniel recommended, was to start out doing catering and then see how we liked that, before considering the investment of a physical restaurant. He even helped with a lot of research into the legal aspects of starting a business, on top of talking over the grant and loan options and procedures which were his specialty.

"Have you thought about taking classes?" Daniel asked.

"Not really," Emily and I both admitted. "Should we?"

"It'll definitely be good to take some business-related ones if you go the restaurant route eventually, but they'd even be helpful now. Maybe even some culinary classes—I know you're both great cooks, but, you never stop learning, right?"

We both agreed on that, when we talked about it during one of our morning trips around the reservation.

"I love being with Sam, and being the semi-official pack mom," Emily confessed, "but I would like something for me."

"Me, too. I think Daniel's had a lot of good suggestions. So…are we going to?"

A deep breath. "Yes."

Lots of debate among the four of us, and Daniel, followed. Along with starting the process of applying for a catering license, Emily and I decided to take a basic business accounting class from a small college with a branch campus in Forks. It was going to consume the remnants of my college fund, but would at least mean that I was using part of it for the original intended purpose. We made a deal with the tribal elders that we could use the community center's kitchen as a backup to mine for any large-scale cooking. We were hoping to have things in place to start offering our services by the holidays.

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Jared POV

I'd made arrangements with my parents to get off early from work the first Tuesday in August. It was our one-month anniversary and I wanted us to do something special. When I let myself into the apartment, I found Bella standing in the middle of the kitchen, obviously deep in thought. "Tough decision?" I asked.

"Aahh!" Bella shrieked and spun around. I caught her as her balance wavered. "Don't do that to me."

"Sorry. I thought you heard me coming."

"Well, I didn't."

"How about I make it up to you with a nice dinner out tonight?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Actually, I think I do. Happy anniversary." I held out a single red rose. Her eyes darted to the calendar.

"August 3rd."

"Not much for dates, hmm?" I set the rose on the counter beside us and moved to encompass her in my arms.

"Good thing you are, then, isn't it?" Bella's arms came up to circle my neck. I lost track of how long we stood in the middle of our kitchen, lips and bodies melded together.

"Nice as this is," I whispered, "the dinner offer still stands. What sounds good?"

"Italian. There's a place in Port Angeles…" she trailed off.

"We can do that."

"It's called _Bella Italia_. They have amazing mushroom ravioli. I had it—I had it when Edward took me there once."

"Did he do that much?"

"No. We pretty much stuck to either his house or mine. Oh, I knew I shouldn't have said anything…" Bella bit her lip, upset with herself now.

"Bella, I didn't put any conditions on the offer. If you want this restaurant, then that's what I'll give you."

"Well, I really do want that dish again. And I want my memory of it to be tied to you, not to him."

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On the drive into Port Angeles, I debated for a while before deciding to take the plunge and ask Bella about her first trip to the restaurant.

"Angela and Jessica wanted to find dresses for prom and wanted me to come along and help them decide. I left the store to run to a bookstore, but got lost. Edward just showed up out of nowhere and got me back to the restaurant where I was supposed to have met back up with them. The girls were just leaving so he and I stayed for me to eat something, and they headed home. That was the night he basically confirmed what I'd already figured out about his family. I just home the same waitress isn't there—she flirted pretty outrageously the last time, and no one gets to do that with you except me."

From Bella's lack of reaction, I assumed that she didn't see any familiar staff at _Bella _Italia. The ravioli was as good as Bella had promised. She just about melted when the waitress brought out a giant hot fudge sundae for us to share for dessert. I let Bella eat as much of it as she wanted, enjoying watching her enjoy it more than I would have enjoyed eating it myself.

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Bella POV

Savannah stopped by Wednesday afternoon while I was in the middle of cleaning. When I would have stopped, she insisted on helping me finish.

"Bella?" my little sister-in-law asked as she dusted a bookshelf. "How did you know that Jared was 'The One'?"

I had a feeling that she was thinking more about Jacob than about Jared and me. "I just did, I guess. I know that doesn't really answer anything, but it is the truth. It wasn't just the grand gestures, like my pendant or the tutoring; it was all the little things, like flowers for our first date, cooking me dinner…Jared has always let me know that I'm important to him. He's been so considerate and loving and…pretty darn perfect."

"My brother—perfect?" Savannah clearly found that a little hard to believe.

"Really. Oh, sure, he's got a few little irritating habits, like that aversion to the laundry hamper sometimes, but whenever he's done anything that's bugged me, he's always made up for it and then some. I'm not sure what I did to deserve him, but I'm so thankful that I found him."

Savannah sighed. "How romantic."

"Yeah, he's great at those kinds of gestures." I paused for a moment, then decided that I'd see about moving the conversation along a little and help her out. "Not that we mind you knowing any of this, but was there a reason you wanted to ask?"

"I just…want to know what to look for, so I'll know when I find it."

"Anyone you've got your eye on?"

Her cheeks flamed as red as mine sometimes did. "It's silly. He'd never notice me. He's older, and I'm just Jared's kid sister."

"It's not silly at all, Savannah," I disagreed. "And you're wrong that Jacob hasn't noticed you—he hasn't been hanging around so much just because he likes Jared and me."

"Really?" She went even brighter.

"Really. He's been a good friend to both of us, and he'll be a great boyfriend. If you decide he's what you want, of course. No pressure or anything, though."

"But am I too young?"

"For what Jared and I have, yes, you are. But I think every girl should know what she wants to find in a guy, even before she starts dating anyone. Why don't you think about being friends right now, and then if it's right that the friendship becomes something more later on, then it'll happen when it's the right time."

"But what if that's not what Jake wants?"

"If he's serious about you, Savannah, then he'll respect you and where you're at in life. Jared let me take our relationship as slowly as I needed to, and I promise that we'll look out for you the same way.

"Thanks, Bella," Savannah gave me a hug. "I'm glad Jared met you."

"Me, too."

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That Friday night, we went to the small bowling alley in Forks for Jared's siblings' 14th birthday party. Despite the best of intentions, we were the last to arrive.

"Sorry we're late," Jared apologized when we finally made it.

"Get used to it," his mom suggested. "Once the baby's here, you'll never be anywhere on time again."

"But the baby's not here yet," Drew objected.

"It was my obligation to give Bella the reassurance that she looked nice for your party," Jared explained to his brother. "It's a girl thing." His hug helped me mostly hide my face against his chest to conceal my blush over the means by which he had reassured me.

"You look good, Bells," Charlie offered, along with a hug of his own. James and Laura had extended the invitation to come since he was 'part of the family now'.

"I look pregnant," I replied, tugging the hem of my blouse down so it was taut against my stomach in illustration.

"How far along are you now?" he asked, still staring at my belly.

"Fourteen weeks, roughly; so, about 3 ½ months."

"Feeling any better now?"

"Yeah. I think I'm about over the sickness—I hope I am, anyway."

"Don't fuss her too much, Charlie," Sue chided. "She's doing very well."

Given my innate coordination issues, not to mention the baby bump I'd now acquired, I wasn't going to bowl. Jared offered to help me practice after the baby was born. The gleam in his eye made me wonder how much actual bowling would occur if I took him up on the offer. Even though I was on the sidelines, it was still fun to watch everything that was going on. Drew and his friends, including Seth, Collin, and Brady, were having a blast hurling the balls down the lane as hard as they could—well, maybe not quite _that_ hard in the case of the young wolves. Savannah and her friends giggled and squealed as much as they bowled. Most of the other pack members and imprints had joined us as well; more proof that tribal life was communal in nature.

I'd had a nice healthy lunch today, so I wasn't going to feel bad about indulging in bowling alley food tonight. Everything looked and smelled amazing, and I was relishing the abatement of the nausea that had plagued me for weeks now. A big slice of pizza, a package of nachos and cheese, and a giant soft pretzel—heaven to my taste buds.

I think that my in-laws couldn't help noticing how attentive Jake was to Savannah, especially when she asked for help after some apparently uncharacteristic gutterballs.

"I'll keep an eye on it," Jared promised them, noticing as well. "He knows better than to try anything with my little sister. Bella's already had a word with him, I think."

With a few games behind them, the twins finally prevailed upon their parents to let them open presents. From Jared and I, Drew got a video game; he was thrilled, which was more than could be said about his reaction to the clothes he got from some other members of the family.

"Clothes? This is lame," he muttered.

"Then don't grow so fast," teased Laura. "You're getting to be almost as bad as Jared was a couple years ago. You're starting to grow out of almost everything you own."

"It's not my fault," he objected. When I gave him a closer look, I knew he was right. What I didn't know was if it meant anything or not. From the corner of my eye, I saw the look on Jared's face, but there wasn't anything I could say to him now.

Savannah was thrilled with her gift of a spa day with me. "We need a little pampering now and then, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather share it with than my little sister," I told her.

"I love it, Bella. Thanks, big sister."

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Alone later that night, I cuddled against Jared with my head on his shoulder: our favorite sleeping position. "You're worried, aren't you?" I whispered, in a not-question, "that his growth spurt might not be just a growth spurt."

"Yeah," he admitted. "It could be nothing, but…he's old enough, and he's got a brother and close cousin who are already wolves…I just can't figure out why, if that's really what it is. We haven't had a leech close in a while now."

"And phasing isn't pre-emptive," I repeated what they'd said more than once before. "Then, maybe you're worrying for no reason? If there's no trigger, then it might not mean anything after all. I mean, isn't he also old enough for a regular growth spurt?"

Jared gave that little huffing sigh that I knew meant he was trying not smile. "Yes, dear, you're right."


	48. Eew, Gross

AN: I hope all my American readers had a good Labor Day weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed having an extra day off from work and getting to see family. I had every intention of getting this chapter out sooner than this. But I had class this past weekend and had some reading that I had to get done. And I was trying to make sure that my event timing in the story hadn't gotten messed up, so I've been rereading past chapters to get myself a timeline. Hope you find this to be worth the wait.

Did another small tweak in the last chapter, putting Bella and Savannah's talk after the anniversary dinner.

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Bella POV

With everything that had gone on the first week of August, I'd called Sue and asked if she'd mind us pushing the appointment back a week, which she'd said would be fine. Now that I was into my second trimester, and past the morning sickness, I was in a very good mood. After pronouncing herself satisfied with my weight and diet, Sue brought out a new piece of equipment.

"I don't suppose I really need to ask if you're interested in trying to listen to the baby's heartbeat, do I?"

"Can we?" I was thrilled at the idea.

"You're about 14 weeks along now, so we ought to be able to pick it up with the Doppler. But just so you know, the baby may not be in the right position today."

"Does that mean-?"

"No, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong, or that we need to worry about. Sometimes, the heartbeat can be picked up as early as 11 or 12 weeks, or it's as late as 16 weeks. It just depends." Sue was quick to offer a thorough explanation.

"Sure," Jared spoke for both of us.

Sue had me lay back on the exam table and folded up my shirt to expose my belly. There was a momentary chill when the probe touched my skin. She began moving it around and I giggled.

"It tickles."

"Bella…" Jared shook his head in bemusement.

"Sorry." Not that I really was, of course.

Sue resumed skimming the Doppler over my abdomen. "Here we go," she announced.

A "tha-tha-tha" sound became audible. Jared and I locked eyes. His "wow" was more a movement of lips than an actual spoken word.

"Is it supposed to be that fast?" I wondered.

"Yes. A baby's heartbeat is a lot faster before they're born. It's just what we like to hear." As the sound started to become a little fainter, Sue moved the Doppler and followed with perfect accuracy, bringing the sound back loud and clear.

"Damn," Jared muttered.

"What?" my tone was somewhere between confused and irritated.

Instantly, Jared realized how his comment had been taken. "Sorry, love. I'm just wishing I'd remembered that digital recorder. I'm sure our parents will wish they'd heard this." I knew he'd be right about that.

"Bring it next time, and we'll make sure to get a recording. In fact, if they ever want to come to an appointment, and you'd like them to, that's always an option."

"We'll see," I wasn't ready to commit to that—I knew Charlie would blush up a storm at the mere thought, and I wasn't sure about Jared's dad. Our moms and sister…

"Now, I think we've taken care of everything for this time. Next time around, we'll have a few new tests to run."

"Do I want to know any details?" I interrupted before Sue could get very far.

"Nothing to worry about. The triple screen and alpha-fetoprotein tests will just eliminate concerns, just like the tests at the beginning did." Sue paused, "We'll also have the option of setting up a sonogram that time, too."

"Is that typical?" Jared wanted to know.

"It's usually recommended to have one done during the pregnancy. It lets us make sure we've got the due date calculated right and lets us get a visual look to make sure things are going well. You do have the option to find out the gender then, if that's something you want to learn."

We exchanged another glance. Back before the wedding, we'd painted the baby's room so it would work for either a boy or a girl. We hadn't talked yet about whether or not we wanted to find out which we were having. "Do we have to decide now?" I hedged.

"About learning the sex? No, of course not. You can even decide that the day of the scan. But I _am_ going to strongly recommend having the sonogram done, from a medical standpoint," Sue was decisive on that.

"We'll talk about it then," Jared informed her.

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Jared POV

"So, what do you think?" I asked, as we headed for home.

"About what?" Bella replied, although I was sure she knew what I meant.

"Finding out if we're getting a boy or girl." I reached out with my free hand and rubbed a gentle circle over Bella's stomach.

"Do you want to know?"

"That's the thing: I'm not sure. Part of me does want to know—so we can shop and personalize; but the other part of me wouldn't mind being surprised."

"So finding out about the baby to begin with wasn't enough of a surprise?" Bella smiled at that, which I had to echo.

"Touche," I admitted.

"I get what you meant by all that, but if you're really asking me, I think I _would_ like to find out." Bella answered my initial question. "We could start thinking about names, and I know it would be easier on my mom if she knew—her last email talked about a baby store she found, and the last thing I want is for her to buy everything."

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As expected, our parents were indeed thrilled about the heartbeat when we told them at our joint family dinner that night

"And we've decided we're going to find out what we're having, when we go to our next appointment." Bella announced.

"Can I come—?" Savannah got out before she was hushed.

"You'll be in school by then," mom reminded her.

My sister's obvious disappointment prompted Bella to say, "I'd love to have you—you and my second mom. Maybe Sue could help us arrange a time that could work." Savannah's face literally glowed.

"It's only an hour or so, Laura," my dad interjected, "and this is her first niece or nephew, after all. I wouldn't mind if she missed a little school just this once."

"Are you sure, Bella?" I knew that my mom had to be thrilled to have been invited.

"Of course," my love spoke firmly. "I really want to have one of my mom's there to see. I think we could even listen to the heartbeat again."

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Bella POV

The last Saturday before school started for the younger pack members, Sam and Emily hosted a cookout at their cabin. Now into my second trimester, I was feeling better and more energized (and I blessed Sue for having been right about that), and actually had quite an appetite. I opted to take full advantage of being the pregnant lady and went through the line first. I grabbed a hotdog, chips, potato salad, and carrots. I added a dollop of ranch dressing to dip the carrots in. Catching a drip off the bottle's rim on my finger, I stuck it in my mouth. Yum. I tilted the bottle again and ran a line of dressing down the length of my hotdog. I was about to find a place to sit down when I spied the jar of whole dill pickles. With my hands full and no place to set down my plate, I chose plan B and tagged the first person I saw.

"Seth, can you grab me a few pickles?"

"Sure, Bella," Agreeable as always, Seth grabbed a small plate and started skewering pickles out of the jar.

"Want some ice cream with those, Bells?" Jake teased from where he was sitting next to Savannah. She elbowed him lightly and delivered her version of a 'look' in my defense; more than one pack member had to turn away to hide a grin or smirk.

"Ice cream? No, that's weird." I ducked my head to hide my own devious grin. "But you _can_ get me some chocolate sauce."

"Huh?" Jake sat, bewildered, until another look, this one from his sister Rachel, got him moving. In the meantime, I got to work on the plate of food and discovered that my ranch hotdog was really good.

"Want another?" Quil asked, looking up from fussing over Claire to see me polish off the last bite.

I considered it, "I probably ought to eat the rest of this first, but I might save one to eat later."

"Brady, you want to grab that for her?" Quil reached over to nudge him.

"Yeah, Okay. Got it."

When I got around to the pickles and chocolate sauce, I was the center of attention. I made a big production of swirling the end of the pickle through the sauce and bringing it to my lips, between them, and biting. I chewed, swallowed, and repeated the process.

"How is it?" Paul asked, fascinated despite himself. Glancing around, I observed that most of the pack members' faces were twisted in contorted grimaces. Mission accomplished.

"How do you think?" I paused for a dramatic moment. "It's disgusting." I took a long drink of lemonade to wash away the taste from my mouth. I regarded the remainder of the pickle for a moment before dropping it on my now-empty plate.

"Why'd you eat it, then?" Drew asked. His nose was wrinkled and his tongue protruded a little in disgust. I heroically avoided meeting the eyes of any of the other girls—I knew that if we did we'd burst out laughing. It was rather funny: guys were supposed to _like_ gross things.

"Probably just to see our reactions to something so weird," decided Embry.

I nodded. "Had to give you guys at least one gross food craving," I admitted.

"Maybe more normal ones from here on out?" requested Sam.

"Maybe." I wondered if anyone noticed that I wasn't exactly promising anything.

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Jared POV

I admitted to myself that it was really fun to see the guys' reaction to Bella's craving production.

"Do girls always do that?" Collin asked in a stage-whisper. Brady, Seth, and Drew were right there, too, hanging on my answer.

"Always…probably not. But they do like to get reactions. Personally, I think she's having fun with not being sick all the time now." And I wasn't going to complain in the least. It had always knotted me up, seeing how sick she'd been and how there hadn't been anything I could do about it. I was as thrilled as Bella (or so I thought) that that part of pregnancy was behind us. Bella really did seem to be having a good time. Some people were trying to offer her other gross combinations of foods and condiments and laughing at her mock horror.

With the eating over, we naturally started playing touch football. The friendly competition was just what we needed to wrap up the summer. Periodically throughout the afternoon, someone would disappear to run a quick patrol. Savannah didn't seem to notice, as she was watching Jake exclusively today, but I got the feeling that Drew was catching something, especially when his friends were gone.

I caught Sam's eye and without being obvious about it tried to convey what I suspected. It took a bit, but he finally got the message, looked, and grimaced. When we took a break, Bella brought me a glass of lemonade. "I know you don't want it, but if it happens, at least he'll have you to turn to."

It was hard not to appreciate her efforts to make me feel better about what I was afraid was about to happen. When my parents had told me to be a role model for my little brother, I highly doubted that anything like this was what they'd had in mind.

"Did you mention anything to Sam?" she asked, leaning against my back and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"He got the idea. I'm sure he'll make sure that everyone's watching, just in case."

Bella considered this. "And at least his friends are in the know—they can be watching, too." Clever girl, figuring out that we were going to repeat our pre-Seth activities. And it was a very good thing, as she'd said. I just wished I knew if it was even necessary. Drew had gotten taller, and a bit bigger, but that was about it, that I could see. He didn't seem to be going through mood swings, although I recalled that Seth really hadn't either, until almost the day he'd phased. _Don't go borrowing trouble before it gets here, Jared-lad_, my grandmother had often told me. I resolved to try and follow her advice.

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Bella POV

Bella POV

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Jared asked, for what seemed like the dozenth time. I couldn't see why he was so concerned: I felt fine and had energy to burn.

"Jared," my tone was reproachful, "our friends are leaving for college _tomorrow_. We promised to have them over, so we are."

"I'm fussing too much, aren't I," he commented. I loved how he almost always recognized when he was going overboard with the protectiveness.

I seated myself comfortably on his lap. "I feel great, truly. And I didn't slave away all day cooking, either—the entrée came out of the freezer."

"Love you," he apologized again.

"Me, too."

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Angela POV

There was no doubting now that Bella was pregnant. She'd really popped since I'd seen her last, and she absolutely glowed. I really struggled against laughter when Jared gently but firmly insisted that she sit on the couch with me and talk while he put the finishing touches on dinner. Seeing how they interacted was always so touching.

"Excited to leave?" Bella inquired.

"Yeah. It'll be fun to be somewhere new and start my classes. Are you?" I gestured slightly toward her bump.

"I am. I feel amazing now, and we're going to find out the gender at our next appointment. Emily and I are working toward that catering idea of yours. I'm sure I won't be able to complain of boredom," she laughed.

"Will you email and let me know which you're having?"

"Absolutely."

Before we left, promises were exchanged to stay in touch and to try and get together when Ben and I were back in town. As he helped me into his car, I looked up to where Bella and Jared were standing in the open doorway of their apartment. He was behind her, head resting on top of hers, his hands cradling her rounded abdomen.

"They are so lucky," I sighed, settling back into the seat.

"We ought to stop by Bella's dad's place on the way back," Ben suggested. "We should drop off her birthday present for him to hang onto."

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Bella POV

It was rather interesting to see how the pack orientation shifted once almost all of the members went back to school. It was only Sam and Leah who were available to patrol during the day. Before heading to work and school respectively, Jared joined Paul for the early morning patrol shifts now that I wasn't sick at the start of every day. The youngest pack members caught the late-afternoon/early evening shift, and Jake and his wingmen covered the wee hours of the night. Not perfect, by any means, but they made it work.

It wasn't like I really had any more free time on my hands, since Emily and I started our own class at about the same time. Jared and I both had a good laugh when we realized we'd unconsciously fallen back into our old habit of after-school studying.

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"Do you ever worry when Jared goes out like this?" Daniel asked me one day, toward the end of August, after we'd watched Leah and Sam head off for an afternoon patrol.

I exhaled heavily as I considered how to answer him.

"Not really," I finally replied. "Part of being a pack means that they look out for each other. And it's not just Sam looking out for her—if there was any trouble, the rest of the pack would come running."

"Just drop the textbooks and run?" Daniel was skeptical.

"Honestly, yeah. I know, it's a bit strange to think of these…teenagers basically having carte blanche to ditch school when necessary, but I guess the elders have made some kind of arrangements so that it isn't questioned.

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Jared POV

"Sweetie, have you decided yet what you're planning for Bella's birthday? It's coming up soon, isn't it?" mom asked me one day near the end of August.

"No." And truthfully, I hadn't. I knew that Bella wasn't one for having a fuss made over her, and a birthday by its very nature was exactly that.

"Jared Christopher Mahan," my mom scolded. "You can't forget your wife's first birthday since your wedding—her first birthday since you met her, too!"

"Mom, she's said more than once that she's never really enjoyed celebrating birthdays, and after her jerk of an ex-boyfriend broke up with her practically on her last birthday, I can't see that having changed any."

"Oh…" she sighed. "Well, then, don't throw her a party or anything. What about just a special dinner with family and friends? We can still make it special without having it be too much."

I thought about that for a minute. _Not a bad idea…_ "Let me think a few things over, but thanks for the idea, mom."

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A little shorter than usual, I know, but I hope it was still worth your time.

I've gone back in and added the missing scene to this chapter.


	49. A Hell of a Day

AN: So embarrassed that I left a scene out of the last chapter. Everyone who reviewed for #48 got to see it, and I've just added it to the chapter on the site, so if you didn't review you can go back and catch that new scene (and if you want to review then, great).

To anyone who might have been wondering when the real drama would return...I can only quote Captain James T. Kirk and say "Buckle up."

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At the beginning of September, Jared and I invited his family over for a dinner at our house that Friday night. "You've been so hospitable to us, we want to return the favor," we explained.

Laura and I spent a while in what would be the baby's nursery, talking up ideas on furniture and accessories.

"We do still have a few months to get everything ready," James said, poking his head in the door, "so if you ladies are ready for a break, the food is waiting."

Before they left, I asked Laura about mending a jacket of mine which I'd noticed had a rip. "I probably won't be able to wear it for a while, but I ought to see about getting it fixed before it gets worse."

"I'd be happy to, Bella," she replied, taking the jacket from me and draping it over her arm.

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Jared had to spend part of Saturday helping the part-time employees at the store. His parents had some shopping trip out of town, and they and Drew would be gone most of the day. Emily and I spent a little while working on a class project, and the rest of the time just hanging out with everyone else. Only Collin wasn't there, and I guessed that he'd either gotten roped into going along, or had volunteered to keep Drew company.

The deepening of Jake and Savannah's relationship was now obvious to everyone; her lack of knowledge about the pack did keep the teasing a lot milder than it probably would have been otherwise. I was pleased to see that he was being just as careful with her as Jared had been with me.

"What do you think about it?" I asked Rachel when we had a moment alone.

Pondering the question briefly, Rachel said, "Well, since I'm part of an imprint, too, I really can't say anything against it. I'm glad he's found 'the one' who's meant for him. But this _is_ my little brother we're talking about here, and he's still got this last year of high school left, so a part of me wishes he wasn't in something so serious this soon."

"I think the other wolves will make sure he remembers that Savannah definitely isn't ready for anything too serious, and won't be for a while; and if they don't, _I will_." I was firm on that. Savannah was my new little sister, and I'd be looking out for her just as much as the others.

When James and Laura arrived back from their trip and picked up Savannah, I couldn't avoid noticing how every wolf there simultaneously stiffened and zeroed in on them. I couldn't see anything wrong, but would have to wait until they left to find out what they'd noticed. Jake's good manners in helping Savannah into the car once Collin had exited also would have let him get an up-close look.

"Mrs. Mahan?" Seth moved a little closer.

"Yes, Seth?"

"Would it be okay if Drew spent the night at my house tonight?"

"I think your mom has enough going on right now without getting invaded," Laura declared. "But, if you boys want to come over to our house, that's fine with us."

Because I was watching for it, I saw the sidelong glance Seth sent Sam's way and the slight nod delivered in return.

"Sure. We'll grab our stuff and be over soon if that's okay." Plans decided, the Mahan's headed for home, with the pack watching intently, Jake most of all. Once we were clear, I was determined to get some answers.

"What's going on? What did you all smell?"

"Leech—all over the car," Paul spat.

"But they weren't touched…" Embry puzzled out.

"Collin, answers," Sam directed.

"They took us into Seattle to pick up something they'd ordered, and 'cause this was 'Drew's Day'. We'd've been back sooner than this, but when we came out of the store it looked like someone tried to break into the car, so they called the cops to check thing out."

"Anything missing?"

"Couple jackets, maybe," Collin shrugged.

My eyes squeezed shut for a moment. "Not again," I breathed. Instantly, all eyes were on me.

"What?" Sam snapped.

"I gave Laura a jacket to fix. If she left it in the car…" My voice trailed off.

"Bella!"

"Jared!" My husband arrived, wrapped his arms around me, but focused his attention on the Alpha.

"What the hell is going on, Sam?"

"A vampire apparently got close, if not into, your parents' car today. No harm done, but—"

"I think he's gonna phase," Collin interrupted. "Drew got twitchier and twitchier the closer we got to here, kept saying he smelled something."

"Where is he?" Jared scanned the yard.

"Heading home with your family. The young guys are going to spend the night." Sam turned his attention to the trio. "If it starts to happen, one of you call us, the other two get him outside and away from people. Now, get a move on."

They left, and I could feel Jared trembling against me. The thought that a vampire had gotten so close to our family literally terrified me, as very little had ever done before. I was sure that Jared had to be just as scared, as well as worried for the brother about to join him.

"Take me home," I whispered. "Please, take me home." I part of me hated to play on the imprint like this, but we both needed time alone right now. Jared had helped so many of them, now they could return the favor and help him and Drew.

"We've got this, bro," Jake promised. "You take care of Bella, we'll look after Drew. Promise you'll get the call if anything happens."

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Savannah POV

For someone who was getting to have three of his friends sleep over, Drew didn't seem too happy about it. He grumbled about the dinner mom fixed, shot down the guys' videogame suggestions, and didn't really want me around either. So I ended up going to my room to work on the cross-stitch I was making for Jared and Bella's baby. I was hoping to have it done to give to Bella at her birthday, but if I didn't get more done it'd be a Christmas present instead.

"Don't stay up too late, sweetie," mom said when she and dad came in to tell me goodnight.

"I won't," I promised. I put my cross-stitch away and realized I was a little hungry. I knew it was against mom's rules to have a snack at bedtime, but I decided to try and sneak to the kitchen to find something. As I started to creep down the hall, I heard something hit the floor and whispered voices.

"No"

"Crap"

"Call them"

As the phone buttons began to beep, Seth said, "Drew, man, come on. Let's go for a little run—burn this off."

"Don't want to," he muttered.

"Please, man," Collin whispered. "Just let's go outside."

The sounds of feet moving increased. _They'll wake mom and dad up if they aren't careful_, I thought. The door shut behind them and I moved into the kitchen. _They shouldn't be sneaking out: it's late._ Finally discovering my rebellious inner teenager, I followed them—followed them outside and into the woods where we were forbidden to go. I knew better; boy, did I know better, but I kept going anyway.

"Drew, calm down."

"Easy, buddy."

"Breathe, man"

I crept closer, almost to the edge of the little clearing they'd stopped in, and peaked around a tree. Drew was in the middle, the other three surrounding him. My twin started to shake violently. He turned, twisted, and _grew_. His clothes ripped and in the next moment my brother was gone and a wolf stood where he'd been, head lifted in a howl. I shrieked involuntarily at the same moment that Collin and Brady also turned into wolves. Seth spun around and saw me.

"Savannah? Stay there!" He shifted so that he was between me and them, and turned back to face the wolves.

"Seth? What? How?" I stuttered. He ignored me as another wolf appeared from the other side of the clearing. He ignored the others and came up to Seth, sliding even closer to me. I knew I ought to be screaming hysterically or something to have a wolf—let alone four of them—almost in touching distance, but something about this latest arrival let me calm down and stay quiet.

"Took you long enough," Seth muttered.

"Savannah? Are you okay?" I spun and almost screamed again when I heard and then saw Jared.

"He—they're—"

My older brother sighed, looking more than eighteen. "Yeah, I know. We'll explain in a minute, okay?"

"We?" This was obviously my night to be ignored, because he didn't answer me either.

"Seth, why don't you and Jake take Sav over to Bella's—the rest of the pack's on their way. Collin, Brady, and I will sort Drew out and be there soon."

Seth nodded, and the wolf beside him returned to the trees for a minute. He didn't come back, though; instead, Jacob, my boyfriend, did. During that same time, I'd seen my elder brother strip off his shorts, toss them on the ground, and turn into a wolf, too. _Has the whole world gone crazy?_ I wondered.

Jacob came close to me. His hands rose, then fell, like he wasn't sure if he should try to touch me or not.

"What's going on here?" I whispered, feeling like a little girl again and wanting only to be hugged and told that everything was going to be fine. It was almost as if Jake sensed that, because he took that last step toward me and carefully reached his arm around me.

"It's okay, I promise, Vanah." I'd never said anything, but I really liked how he'd given me a nickname, something that only he ever used.

"Why did I have to leave?"

"Explaining everything will be easier inside and with everyone else there. Plus, Drew'll calm down easier without so big of an audience. He doesn't have any clothes now, either. Crap!" Jacob slapped his thigh. "Seth, sneak back and grab him something to wear. Collin and Brady, too."

Seth split off and headed back to the house, while Jake and I walked toward Jared and Bella's apartment. "Mom and Dad…" I started to say, after a few minutes.

"Are sound asleep," Jake told me. "We'll have you all back home before they're awake to notice."

"I'm not dreaming this, am I?" I asked.

"Nope." I about jumped out of my skin when Seth was the one to answer my question, as I hadn't noticed him come back. I think the only reason I didn't was because Jake was right there beside me.

"You're wolves." I didn't even question that Seth had to be one, too. "My brothers are wolves."

"Yeah," Jake's answer was quiet.

At the apartment, we just walked right in. It seemed like all of Jared's friends were there, wearing nothing but shorts. Jake's sister was there, too, and so was Seth's. Bella was sitting on the couch between them. She had to use both of them to help her stand up when we came in. I gratefully fell into the hug she offered.

"Are you okay?" my big sister inquired.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Confused, a little scared…"

"Life _will_ be different now," Bella agreed, "but it's not _bad._"

More footsteps on the stairs made us all turn. Collin and Brady came in first, followed by Jared and Drew, who shut the door behind them. Jared tugged Drew with him, and they joined Bella and me in a family hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered, to exactly whom, I wasn't sure. No one around us said anything until we let go and moved apart.

Sam Uley stood up and anyone who wasn't sitting found a place pretty quick. Jared went to the couch and sat with Bella on his lap. Jake perched on the arm of the chair I was in. Drew joined his friends on the floor. "Okay", he began. "First off, we obviously have a new member of the pack."

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Drew POV

I didn't have a clue why I was so on-edge today. Well, okay, I did know that I hadn't been happy to have my solo day with mom and dad partly taken up by them picking up the birthday present they'd ordered for Bella. And I couldn't understand why my cousin Collin had wanted to come along or why they'd let him.

I'd been starving all day, even with the snacks mom had packed. I didn't like getting shot down over the 'must have' pair of sneakers that they thought I didn't really need. And Collin's chatter—well, if he was trying to make me feel better, he was a total failure. And on top of it all, someone had tried to break into the car, or had done it, I didn't know which. I guess I did, 'cause mom got a little upset about the clothes that they'd taken. When we finally got to leave, the smell in the car was driving me crazy, and the worst part was that nobody believed me when I said there was something like burned cotton candy around.

Back at the rez, I would've liked it if I could have gone somewhere, but no, mom had to invite the guys over instead. Nothing was interesting, and my sister hung around for a while. And then, my skin started to itch and feel kinda tight. After that, the guys started acting really weird, telling me to "come on," to "calm down", to sneak outside. I didn't argue, I was having enough trouble just breathing. I barely even noticed when we went into the woods or when we stopped or when they surrounded me.

All of a sudden, the worst pain I'd ever felt was everywhere: hands, feet, shoulders—like I was coming apart. I tried to scream, but it wasn't sounding right. It wasn't me, it was some animal howling. And then, there was nothing. No pain, no itching—just nothing.

_What was that?_

_Who phased?_

_Who said that? What happened? What's going on? Why did I start hurting like that_?I tried to ask.

_Drew?_

_What? Who? Where?_ I tried to turn my head to see who was talking, but my body didn't move right. My head was tilted forward and I had…paws? _What?_

_Drew, buddy, its okay. You're fine._

_Collin?_ I looked toward his voice and saw—_aahh_—I jumped when a wolf was standing where I'd thought Collin would be.

_Welcome to the pack, coz._

_What's going on?_ If I didn't start getting some answers to all my questions, like now, I was going to start freaking.

_We're wolves and now you are, too._

_Brady?_

_Yep._ And when I looked the other way, sure enough, another wolf was there.

_You guys got this one?_ A new voice, familiar, sort-of.

_Yeah, Embry, we've got it_, Brady replied.

_Quil and I'll stay out then. Jake's almost to you._

_I'm here._ I spun and saw a new, even bigger wolf and a still-human Seth. Behind them both: Savannah, looking at us all like we were aliens or something, and Jared beside her.

"He's—they're—" she gasped.

"Yeah, I know," Jared replied. I couldn't figure out why he was here and not freaking out, so I probably missed a few things. The next thing I knew…

_Drew, bro, you okay?_

_Jared?_

_Yeah._

_We're…_

_I know. I'm sorry._

_Sorry?_

_I hoped you wouldn't have to go through this. I didn't want you to._ He was serious and I felt a twinge.

_Is it bad?_

He sighed. _No, it's not bad—just tough sometimes._

_How long have you been…a wolf?_ I knew I'd have to start getting used to saying it.

_A couple years._

_Does Bella know?_

He snorted this time. _Yeah. She knows. She knew about the wolf-thing even before we met._

_How?_

_Jake._

_Figures._

_Yeah. He can't keep secrets from her any better than I can._

I didn't know what to say about that. Girls were a mystery to me right now, which was fine by me.

_So, besides being stunned speechless, are you okay now?_ He asked.

_I guess._

_Ready to try phasing bac_k?Collin butted in. I'd almost forgotten that he and Brady had even been there, and still were.

_That's what we call it_, Brady explained. _When we shift from human to wolf or wolf to human._

_Just think about being calm and human._ Jared advised._ Don't force it, it'll happen._

I tried to breathe deeply and relax. Much less painfully than before, I could feel my bones and skin shift. "Aaahh!" I yelped when I realized I was human again, not to mention naked. Next thing I knew, something cloth hit me in the face. Pulling it off my head, I found myself holding a pair of my shorts—but not the pair I'd been wearing earlier.

"Get used to shredding a lot of your clothes. Shoes, too," Jared suggested. My brother was dressed almost exactly like me, and we were alone. "Seth grabbed those from the house for you."

"Where is he? And everyone else?"

"Over at my place. There's a lot that you and Savannah need to know now."

"Why her? Because she saw me—us?"

"Partly," Jared admitted. "But she'd've learned it one day, anyway."

"Why?" I asked as we started walking. My brother stopped and turned to face me.

"Because one day she'll be to Jake what Bella is to me, what Emily is to Sam, Kim to Embry, Rachel to Paul. We call it 'imprinting' and it's when we find the one we're meant to be with, the one who's perfect for us."

"That's crazy!" I burst out. She was barely fourteen, just like me, and Jared was talking like 'forever' stuff.

"Crazy or not, it's what is. We're all keeping an eye on it, and them, of course. Come on, the others will be waiting at my place by now."

When we walked in, it seemed like most of his and my friends were all there watching us. My brother, my sisters and I hugged, and it felt really good. It didn't even bother me that there were people watching us.

"Okay", Sam began. "First off, we obviously have a new member of the pack. Drew, welcome. Do you have any questions?"

"Should I?" I couldn't think what I ought to ask. Savannah took care of that for me.

"How?"

"All of us who are wolves are descended from Taha Aki. All the stories about him are true. He was a wolf, and that ability was passed down to those with his blood. Just as happened then, when our tribe is threatened, those with that ability will become wolves, as he did."

"Is this going to happen to me, too?" her voice was full of panic. Everyone else stiffened.

"I don't know, I won't lie about that." Sam told her. "It's possible; you're just as much a descendant of Taha Aki as your brothers are. But I don't think it'll happen to you. Until Leah, we never knew it even _was_ possible for a girl to transform. In her case, I suspect that she joined us because her blood ties to the last pack are so strong; plus, she'd spent the past two years being pissed off at me. We'll watch you, just in case, just like we've watched everyone who's ended up joining us."

"I think Sam's right about you," Leah contributed, "but if it does happen, I'll be here for you, Savannah. We all will."

Jared POV

I'd had a hell of a day, and it didn't seem to be getting any better. First off, I hadn't really appreciated having to spend it away from Bella. It wasn't like the part-timers we used on weekends couldn't handle things, but my parents had asked and it was one of the perils of a family business. Then, when my dad had come in to relieve me, I'd about lost it when I smelled the vampire stench that permeated his clothes. He'd mentioned a minor break-in to the car, and passed on my mom's apologies for Bella, as the jacket my mom had been meant to mend had apparently been among the things taken. I could barely make an unobtrusive departure before bolting for Sam's place.

Worse had come when I'd heard Collin sharing his opinion that Drew was definitely going to phase, and probably soon. As nothing further had seemed to come from Drew's growth-spurt, I'd come to hope that it was 'normal' after all; maybe it had been, but now it was more. I couldn't let myself get drawn too far into panic, not when Bella begged me to take her home. As much as the big brother in me wanted to be there for Drew, my wife, my imprint, had to come first. That, plus Jake's promise to watch and to call me, was the only thing that got me out of there.

At home, Bella shook in my arms for a long time, and I'll admit, I shook, too. I could have lost most of my family today, and maybe the only reason I hadn't was because Bella's jacket had been in the car. I didn't want to think about why the bloodsucker had wanted it, or why he or she had left everything and everyone else untouched.

"Make me forget, Jared. Make it all go away," Bella begged. "Help us both forget." Even though I knew it wasn't a permanent solution, I needed this temporary oblivion just as much as she did. For a few minutes, we could let the whirlwind sweep away everything except for the two of us.

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I lay awake beside my dozing wife, my previous thoughts having returned to plague me. The phone ringing had me lunging to answer it. I didn't even have the chance to say anything before the person on the other end started talking.

"Jared, man, you gotta come now," Collin's voice was urgent. "It's gonna happen real soon. We're trying to get him outside and into the woods. Jake and his wingmen are out patrolling, but he's gonna need you." Then the call ended. I dropped the phone, shutting my eyes as if to negate my cousin's words.

"Go. Drew will need you." Bella had been awakened and was looking at me with infinite compassion in her eyes.

"Call the rest of the pack. Meeting here as soon as we can all get here." I snagged my shorts off the floor and dashed off, barely remembering to shut the door behind me.

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As Sam and other pack members started the now-familiar briefing, I could only cling to Bella's quiet strength. It had felt like a knife wound when Savannah had asked if she'd be next. I could only hope and pray that Sam and Leah were both right that it wasn't going to happen. Paul caught my eye and I saw the concern in his own; his imprint Rachel was in almost the same position as Savannah: a wolf's sister who could conceivably also phase.

"How are we going to explain this to mom and dad?" Drew asked. I winced.

"We aren't," I answered him. "They can't know about you any more than they could about me—or anybody else's parents, for that matter. What we are has to remain a secret."

"So what happens now?" Savannah wanted to know.

"So far as anyone else knows, nothing's changed," Jake told her and Drew. "You go to school and do stuff and home just like before. You can, and should, hang out with us as much as you can. Drew, you're going to really need to be careful. You're new to this, and you'll probably lose your temper pretty easily for a while. Got to be careful about that, because when you do you'll probably phase."

"And doing that around people who don't know isn't a good thing." Drew figured out.

"Right. Sam?" Jake turned to the Alpha. "Where do you want to put him on the patrol schedule?"

"Drew, how do you feel about early mornings?"

"Patrols?" my little brother definitely looked confused by that one.

"We split up the day into shifts and patrol around the reservation and the national park to make sure that there are no vampires around. I think you should be with someone experienced to begin with. Jared and Paul take the early morning shift, so you won't miss any school that way." Sam had come up with probably the best solution, at least for right now; Paul and I were the most experienced wolves next to Sam himself. Drew might prefer being with his friends, but having the four newest wolves patrol together wasn't a good idea.

"Okay, sure. You're the boss."

"Well, he _is_ the Alpha," Brady stage-whispered. We were all glad for the chance to let off a little tension by laughing.

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The next week was largely spent in acquainting my siblings with the intricacies of pack and imprint life. Savannah had initially been a little wary of the whole destiny thing, but talks with the other girls, as well as Bella and Jake, had helped a lot. Drew ended up being very much like Seth and Quil, taking to wolf-life with surprising ease. Having his best friends in on the secret helped, and he and I had multiple mental conversations while running our patrols.

I sometimes felt like I was standing in a sand-glass, watching time trickle away, toward what end I was sure I didn't want to know. And it wasn't entirely because of Bella's rapidly approaching birthday. Almost as if she'd known I was thinking about it, she'd explicitly forbidden any sort of official party. And in view of the disaster that her last birthday and party had been, I couldn't blame her. I figured I'd be safe enough in planning a dinner with family and friends. Presents were officially discouraged, although I did suggest to the invited guests that practical things for Bella and/or the baby would be accepted. _Here's hoping I'm right_, I thought, as I went to sleep on the night of September 12th.


	50. Happy Birthday!

AN: This chapter really ramps things up, I think. Lots of action, and getting close to a big reason for why I started writing this story in the first place. Unfortunately, I don't own Twilight, but this story is all mine.

Wow. This is chapter 50. I never dreamed this story would be so long when I started, and we've so much farther yet to go before the end. Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to read the story, and to review and share their thoughts. You are all amazing.

Have a new little poll on my profile page.

To reviewer AishleyCarter: thanks for reviewing. As I've told another person already who asked for more humor, I put it in as/when appropriate. Checking the categories for this story, humor isn't listed, so that isn't going to be the focus of the story. I'm a serious person by nature, and my stories will logically reflect that. I hope you'll continue to give this story a chance.

Srose: Yep, something is definitely going happen. Stay tuned.

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Bella POV

I woke slowly this morning, feeling no hurry to get moving today.

"Good morning." I turned over to see Jared standing in the doorway to our bedroom, a tray held in his hands.

"Breakfast in bed?" I pushed myself into a sitting position and twisted to pull all of our pillows behind me to lean back against.

He bit his lip. "I thought you deserved breakfast in bed today. Happy 19th birthday, love." I was far enough from the edge of the bed that he could sit beside me after setting the tray over my lap.

Part of me wanted to object to any mention whatsoever about today's significance, but this was my husband, and he did have the right to acknowledge this. As long as he'd obeyed the injunction against any kind of party we'd be fine.

"Thank you," I ignored my morning breath and tilted my face up for his kiss. A kiss, which quickly became two, and three...

"You are incorrigible," he teased, once he'd relinquished my lips and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "But your breakfast will get cold if you don't get started on it now."

He'd made me the seasoned scrambled eggs that I'd been craving lately, some slices of toast with the peach jam I loved, and had a banana on the tray just waiting to be peeled and dipped into the bowl of chocolate sauce. I was starting to suspect that he'd exchanged the trials of my morning sickness for the trials of my food cravings.

"Whatever you want, Bella." It was almost as if he'd known what I was thinking. "If you want pickles with the chocolate sauce again, or some strange ice cream sundae concoction, you'll get them. I can't promise that the guys won't tease you about it, but you'll get them, regardless."

"Thank you."

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Jared POV

I settled on the bed next to her, watching with pleasure as she began to devour her breakfast.

"So, what's next?" she asked around a mouthful of eggs.

"We have the whole morning to do whatever you want, love. We've got the sonogram early this afternoon, and mom's meeting us there with Savannah."

"Then?"

"The afternoon is open until about dinnertime." Now I was waiting for the shoe to drop.

"We have dinner plans?" Her brow furrowed ever-so-slightly.

"Yessss," I drew the word out.

"Where?"

"At your dad's place. I think Sue's helping him."

"Sounds nice. Is it just the three of us?" So far, so good.

"No, it's my family, too."

"Anyone else?"

Here it came. A deep breath. "The pack and imprints, too. It's not a party, I swear. Just dinner."

"Presents?"

"I told them no."

"I suppose it was a little unreasonable for me to ask for no acknowledgment at all," she admitted.

"Mom flipped out a few weeks ago when I said I didn't have anything planned," was my confession. "I figured this was enough to make her see I wasn't ignoring your birthday, while still not being so much that you'd feel we were making a fuss."

Seeing that her tray was now empty, I reached out my hands to help Bella to her feet. She headed to the bathroom to start getting ready, while I belatedly took care of her breakfast tray. By the time I was done, she was back in the bedroom standing in front of the mirror.

I bit down hard on the inside of my mouth to keep from smiling. Bella was fussing at her appearance, an act so unlike her that I had to fight not to show my amusement. Now into her 4th month of pregnancy, her body was really starting to show the changes it was going through.

"Ugh," she growled. She looked up from her stomach into the mirror and saw me watching her.

"You look gorgeous," I told her fervently.

"I look fat!" I resisted the urge to shake my head—I knew it would only get me into trouble. Instead, I walked forward until I was standing just behind her. My arms reached around her and my hands splayed protectively over the growing mound of our child.

"You look sexy," I disagreed, our positions letting her feel the truth of my words.

"Mmmhmm. Any chance you can call in sick today?" Bella's head fell back to rest against my chest.

"Did you forget I'm under orders from management to day to do nothing but spoil my wife?"

She burrowed deeper against my body. "Anything I want?"

"Anything and everything," I vowed.

"You."

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I cradled Bella close once she'd fallen asleep after the rather passionate start to her birthday, I was thinking over the plans I'd made for our day when I drifted off to sleep again as well. More than just Bella's appetite and waist had been increasing lately.

After our nap, Bella requested a walk along the beach. "I want to soak up every last warm and sunny moment while we've got them.

"Your wish is my command."

We walked along, sometimes talking, sometimes not, just enjoying being together. Bella burst out laughing when I produced an orange as we approached the same piece of driftwood that we'd used during the spring school beach trip. "Smaller audience today," I commented, pointing to a few circling seagulls.

"I don't mind." Using a folded blanket as a backrest and another on the ground, Bella carefully moved so she could lean back against the driftwood, lashes veiling her eyes as I fed her orange wedges. Fixed on the sexy, no, the erotic sight before me, I decided it was a very good thing we had no real audience right now. Inhaling, I caught the scents of beach, ocean, wood, and…Bella. Looking down, I saw her staring at me, eyes dark and intent.

"Bella…" I warned, as all the little clues came together in a rush. Her lips pouted.

"Whatever I want, right?"

"We're on the beach," I hissed, even as my pulse began to race. Was she really suggesting…?

"You said yourself that no one's around." She slid down into a prone position and propped her arm up under her head. "Or aren't you interested?" She swept her gaze over me from head to toe. I didn't even think of trying to deny the obvious. As I surrendered to the inevitable, I could only liken this to that first jump off the high cliff that the pack used.

Back at the apartment before we headed to the appointment, I finally got that shared shower I'd been dreaming about.

"We're saving time and water this way," Bella said.

"We won't be saving either if you keep that up," I warned.

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Bella POV

After lunch, we headed to the clinic for our regular appointment, with the sonogram to come afterward. Sue was pleased with my progress, and said that everything looked good. For the first time, she wanted to measure my stomach.

"Hmm." She mused after noting the figure on my chart.

"Is anything wrong?" Jared asked.

"No. Just a little larger than I would have expected. You're sure about the possible conception dates?"

"Absolutely," I confirmed. "I had my period at the end of April. We had sex a couple times the week after, and again the middle of the month." Sue asked me a few questions about the length of my cycle.

"I said at the beginning that picking a due date is a lot of guesswork. We might be looking at right at the beginning of February instead of a week or so in," Sue decided. "The sonogram will give us a much better idea. And regardless, we'll be keeping a close eye on you by the first of the year."

"As long as you're sure nothing's wrong," Jared asked for the reassurance.

"I'm sure."

The only unpleasant part came when I was reminded of the tests that needed to be run, which again required blood samples. Just as he had at my first appointment, Jared distracted me while Sue took care of getting the necessary samples.

"Jared, the results should be back within a week; I'll call with the results as soon as I get them."

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"You don't have to find out, if you really don't want to, you know," I reminded Jared as we walked hand-in-hand toward the entrance to Forks Community Hospital. The La Push clinic didn't have its own ultrasound machine, so Sue had scheduled our scan for the local hospital. After initially agreeing with me on finding out, Jared had been waffling in the weeks since.

(flashback)

"I don't mind our families knowing—I want them to know; I'm just not sure about telling _everyone_," he'd said. I knew that he meant the pack.

"You've kept things from them before," I'd responded, reminding him of how he'd kept details of our private time from the rest of his brethren.

"This is different, though," Jared had countered. "I didn't want to think about that with them around. With the baby, I don't think I'm going to be able to _not_ think about it."

It was a dilemma. We'd already promised to tell our siblings and parents, and I didn't want to go back on that. But, I could see Jared's point about not necessarily telling everyone we knew.

"Right," I'd agreed, "but I can keep the secret." We both knew that it was true—I'd proven many times over that I was great with secrets. Our moms and Savannah would probably be good at it, too.

(end flashback)

"I can keep quiet about it," I repeated, just as I caught sight of Laura and Savannah waiting by the entrance.

Jared stopped us both and tugged me gently around to face him. "I don't _want_ you to keep the secret from me; I _want_ to know which we're having."

"But—"

"I don't care if the pack finds out, too. If it happens, it happens—that's not a big deal, not to me. Our friends have shared so much else with us, they deserve to get this back in return."

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Jared POV

Bella shivered as the technician applied the gel to her belly and began spreading it around with the ultrasound probe.

"So, we'll be checking the baby's size today. Are you interested in finding out the sex as well?"

"Yes!" we answered simultaneously.

"Alright. We'll start at the top and work our way down. Hopefully the baby will be cooperative and let us see clearly. There's the head." The technician pointed to the round image at the center of the screen. "The spine is here—you can see the heart beating. Nice and strong." I felt a surge of awe as I watched. We'd heard the heartbeat at our regular appointment, but this was something incredible, actually _seeing_ it.

Doing some kind of technical magic, she took more measurements and made some calculations. She refined Sue's estimate on Bella's due date, to the last week of January. "So that puts you at about the 20 week mark." Moving on, we watched as she pointed out arms and legs, then shifted the probe around and over different spots on Bella's stomach, looking for the right angle.

"Here we go. Now, are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

My wife's brown eyes met mine. "I don't think we care which. A healthy baby is the important thing," I answered.

"Bet you'd like a boy, though," Bella commented. "Sports and all that."

"I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice," I acknowledged, "but I think I'd like a girl, too. Especially if she takes after her mother." I leaned down for a quick kiss.

"Well, congratulations, then, mom and dad. Allow me to be the first to introduce you to your—"

"Wait!"

"Changed your mind?" the tech asked.

"Not exactly," Bella explained. "It's just that our dads, and my mom and stepdad, aren't here. Could you maybe write it down for us, and then we can tell everyone at the same time?"

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Bella POV

After the appointment, Laura left to take Savannah to back to school. Jared turned to me. "Mrs. Mahan, what else would you like to do today?"

I made a show of giving the matter serious thought. "What about just watching a movie? And you pick."

"If that's what you want…"

"Yes, it is."

Popcorn in hand and the DVD in the player, we looked at each other with so much more uncertainty than we ever had before. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who doesn't know what to say?" Jared requested.

"You mean about me being a couple weeks farther along than we thought," I made it more of a statement than a question. "What do you think?"

"I think…I think I'll be ready to welcome our baby whenever he or she makes their grand entrance." He snuggled close to me. "You?"

"I know it's only a couple weeks, and that that's not long, but I almost feel like I'm not as prepared now as I was before."

"Everyone will help us, you know. We'll be just fine." Jared stretched to give me a gentle kiss. "Ready for the movie?"

"Almost. Did I do the right thing, asking the technician to put the answer into an envelope? Should I just have let her go ahead and tell us?"

"Bella, love, you wanted to make sure that our _entire_ family would be able to find out together. That's such a perfect touch that I'm honestly a little jealous that _I_ didn't think of it."

"_Now_ I'm ready for the movie."

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"I think I'm having déjà vu," I commented, standing in front of the closet for the second time today.

"Will this help?" I turned to see Jared behind me, a small gift bag dangling from his fingers. "It's from my mom." I bit my lip for just a moment before reaching out to accept the bag.

"Ooohhh," I breathed as a dark green knit top and tan leggings emerged from the bag. Bringing them up to my cheek, I rubbed my face against the smooth fabric. "I love your mom."

"Me, too." He laughed as I headed to the bathroom to change. "Hey!"

Poking my head back around the doorframe, "I'm sure it would be bad manners for me to be late, wouldn't it?"

"You're the guest of honor," he countered. "It's not like they can start without you."

I shook my head. "We were late to your siblings' party already—we're not going to be late to my dinner, too." From the look on his face, I knew he realized I was right, even though a part of him seemed to be thinking 'to hell with manners'. I couldn't blame him—I wanted him, too.

"Hista lab," he swore when he saw me emerge from the bathroom.

"Do I want to know what that means?" I'd been trying to pick up new phrases, but with the numbers of fluent native speakers declining, it wasn't that easy; this one was unfamiliar to me.

"Probably not," he replied. Approaching him, my fingers lifted his dangling jaw, then I stood on tiptoe to lightly kiss his lips.

"Down payment."

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Waiting for us at Charlie's was Jared's family and the pack and imprints.

"Happy birthday!" everyone chorused.

It was obvious that Charlie had had help with the food, casual though it was. Sam and Paul carried in trays of burgers from the back deck just as Sue and Emily finished setting out the condiments and side dishes.

"Guest of honor and ladies first," Charlie directed.

"Thanks, dad," I gave him a quick hug before heading for the food.

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Jared POV

Sitting there among our family and friends, my food was sitting almost unnoticed on my plate, as I ignored it in favor of watching my wife. Bella was smiling and laughing, gossiping with the girls and teasing the younger pack members. They, in return, warned her against trying any new strange food combinations tonight.

My favorite color notwithstanding, the green of her shirt set off her hair and eyes and glowing skin perfectly. There was subtle embroidery around the scooped neckline, echoed by more outlining the top curve of her belly. _I love you. I love you both._

After we'd all gorged ourselves sufficiently—"At least until dessert," Jake quipped—everyone took their plates back into the kitchen, then came back into the living room so Bella could open her presents. As expected, everyone had ignored the official request to not give her anything. Most of them were pretty practical, though: certificates promising new maternity outfits whenever she needed or wanted them from Sam and Emily, Embry and Kim, and Paul and Rachel. Leah and Daniel gave her a CD of native music, "It's supposed to be really soothing", and junk food from the young guys. Sue gave them a stern look when she saw it.

Charlie and my parents had gone in together for a flip digital camera that they said was for both of us. "For the moments that still photos just don't do justice to," they explained. Charlie brought out a pile of boxes from the hall closet. "They're not all from me," he hurried to reassure Bella. "This one is from Renee and Phil. Bella opened the box to find a baby book. "She said there are pages that you can start doing now." She took a minute to flip through the book.

"This is great! I can't wait to start putting stuff in. Like the sonogram picture from today."

"So, what is it?" Seth was practically bouncing.

"Whatcha getting, Vanah? Niece or nephew?" Jake leaned down close to her.

"I don't know," she grumped. "Bella had them write it down, so everyone could find out at the same time."

Bella turned bright red when everyone looked her way. "Presents first, then I'll open the envelope."

Another big box was from Angela and Ben. "They're sorry they couldn't be here," Charlie explained. "They gave this to me before they left." Inside was a big scrapbook with "Jared and Bella" embossed on the cover, and a thin CD jewel case labeled "Our Wedding: Jared and Bella, July 3, 2010". She looked up at her dad in confusion. "That's a DVD of your wedding ceremony and the reception," Charlie said. "Ben said there should be a note."

There was.

**Bella, Happy Birthday.**

**Your stepdad shot video at your wedding, and I took it and the reception video and set them to music. Hope you like it. Ben.**

A second note was from Angela:

**Bella, I asked my mom to help put this together, and got the photos from your families and our friends. Now you can pull these memories out whenever you want. Angela.**

She turned to me, eyes shining. I knew it was rude to not let her ask me whatever she was going to, but I had something to give her here. I leaned over the arm of the couch to lift the bundle I'd asked my parents to place there before we arrived.

"Jared…"

"I found this back in July at Quileute Days. I couldn't resist getting it for you. I hope you like it." She leaned over to give me a kiss.

"I'm sure I will." She untied the ribbon and I helped her unfold the large piece of red and black woven fabric, watching as her fingers traced over the wolves and trees and fish that figured among the patterns.

"It's a shawl," I explained, taking it from her lap to shake out and drape over her shoulders.

"It's beautiful! Thank you!" Another kiss, longer and deeper.

"Children present," Embry ribbed. "Parents, too."

"Do I get to ask you my question now?" Bella inquired.

"Sure."

"Do you want to watch the video now, or later?"

"Later," everyone else answered for me.

"I have to agree with them, love," I told her. "I think we've all been in suspense long enough. Open the envelope."

"It's in my purse." No sooner were the words spoken than Savannah was scrambling to retrieve it.

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Bella POV

"Thanks, sis," I told Savannah, when the envelope from the sonogram was in my hand. Weighing it my hand for a moment, I felt a tiny twinge as I remembered the last birthday I'd had, and what had happened when I'd opened an envelope that night. Jared seemed to catch it.

"How about I open it and you tell us? Sound fair?"

"Sure."

"Oh, wait. Charlie, you want to get Renee and Phil on the phone?" Jared tossed over his cell phone and Charlie dialed. When Renee answered, he put the call on speaker.

"Hi, baby." and "Hey, Bella." were the near-simultaneous greetings.

"Hey, mom, Phil. We're just about to open the envelope and find out the sex of the baby."

The envelope back in my hand, I wondered if this was how Embry had felt, when he'd opened his own results a few months ago. Pulling out the paper, I unfolded it and saw the answer to our question, and started giggling.

"Well?"

"What?"

"Which is it?"

The questions from our friends and family went unanswered as I continued to laugh. I fell helplessly against Jared, unable to keep my balance.

"Bella?" Jared didn't seem sure if he should be concerned or not.

"This is going to be fun," I managed, once I'd gotten my mirth under control.

"What is?" Again, the question came from everyone.

"Watching Jared play the over-protective father."

Almost without his awareness, Jared's hands rose to clasp my shoulders. "A girl?" he breathed.

"A girl," I confirmed.

Instantly, he was hopping over the arm of the couch, whooping. The entire room was filled with noise: talking, laughing, shouting…Back at my side, Jared kissed me over and over again. "I love you, Bella. I love you, baby girl." I was swamped with hugs from everyone. My dad hugged me longest.

"Congratulations, Bella. My little girl's having a little girl of her own."

Jared handed me the phone, and I could barely hear my mom's voice. "Mom, it's crazy here. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Sure, baby. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, mom. I love you."

By the time I had a moment to think and space to breathe, Emily, Leah, Rachel, and Kim were bringing in bowls of cake and ice cream.

"Movie time," Quil announced, bouncing Claire on his knee.

I reminded myself that we'd have to send a really nice thank you note to Ben. This was incredible. I was so glad he'd thought to do this for us, and that Phil had shot the video to begin with. Some parts of my wedding day were crystal clear, but others were a little hazy.

There was a loud round of laughter when we got to see Jared's reaction to seeing me walking toward him. "What?" his mouth was hanging open in shock.

"Do you seriously not remember that?" Jake snorted. "How can you not remember that Sam literally had to stop you in your tracks? You'd've met Bella halfway down the aisle if he hadn't done that."

"I don't know," Jared admitted.

"I think it's sweet," I consoled my husband. "Funny, too. That'll be a story to tell the kids about someday."

"That was a beautiful wedding," Laura commented at the end.

"I think so, too," I agreed. "And thanks again to everyone for helping to make it so amazing."

My in-laws left early with my siblings, Collin, and Brady. "You kids have school tomorrow," James reminded them. Paul and Rachel took Billy home soon after. "An old man like me can't stay up too late," he quipped.

"What old man?" Charlie asked. "You still dance circles around everyone."

"That's me."

Charlie didn't seem to want us to leave, so the rest of us hung around for a while just talking and looking through the scrapbook that Angela and her mom had made. We had a fun time remembering some of the things in the pictures. It took a while for me to notice the guys getting a little restless.

"We can wrap this up, if you're ready to leave," I offered.

"No, we don't have to do that," Jared replied. "I think I'll get some of this taken out to the car, though, so we don't have to do it later."

I followed him out of the living room and into the hallway. "Thanks for a great birthday."

"You're welcome, Bella." He was just opening the door when he stiffened, inhaled sharply, and growled low in his throat.

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AN: I know I said that this wasn't coming until after my assignment was done, but I just couldn't stop writing this. Now this is done, so my assignment definitely comes before any more updates.

Hista lab= I need a drink


	51. An Unexpected Visitor

AN: Well, this is the chapter that will answer the question that so many people have asked. Hope you enjoy. This picks up right where the last chapter ended.

Srose: read on to see the accuracy level of your predictions.

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Bella POV

"Bella?" Jared stood in the partly open doorway as the question echoed in the air. Standing behind him, my entire body seemed to contract at the sound of that voice. _It can't be._

Jared moved back from the door, allowing me room to move and take his place. I wasn't sure I wanted to, but I'd never been a coward, so I took a couple steps forward and took hold of the doorknob. I moved a little to the side so I could see outside. I stood half-hidden behind the door, my hand gripping the knob, unable to believe what I was seeing. Blinking repeatedly, I shook my head, then looked again. _Nope, not dreaming._

"Alice?" my voice sounded strangled. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Bella? _You're alive__?_" Alice's voice skirled upward, clear evidence of her shock.

"What?" I gaped at her. "Why would you think I was dead?"

"Everything in Seattle; I was worried, couldn't _see_ you anymore-"

"And what if I _was_ dead, Alice? Why would you care? _Why are you back?_" My frustration and anger welled up and exploded outward. How dare she come back and do this to me? A whole year of nothing, and all of a sudden she comes back and expects that nothing would have changed?

"Why would I care?" Alice repeated, stunned. "Of course, I care. Bella, you're my sister. I love you, just like Edward does."

"_Don't_ say his name to me," I rasped. "He doesn't love me, and neither do you-_you left."_

"Of course, he-what are you talking about, Bella? Edward loves you. That's the reason we left; he was trying to protect you."

"Like that did me any good," I laughed bitterly, but quietly, mindful of whom exactly was in my dad's living room. "Now, again, Alice, _why are you here?_"

She finally seemed to take a good look at me, what she could see of me anyway. "You aren't happy to see me," she realized.

"Now, why would you have expected me to be happy?"

She didn't have an answer, just kept staring at me in disbelief. Then, "What did you mean about our leaving not doing you any good?"

"Now isn't exactly a very good time for this, Alice," I hissed. It wasn't going to be long before someone came looking to see where we were. I was actually surprised it hadn't happened yet-the pack members still in the living room had to be listening to this low-voiced conversation. I guessed they might be trying to keep the element of surprise as long as possible, so long as there wasn't a threat. Tonight must be my night for shocking her, although why Alice hadn't seen this outcome was a bit puzzling. "Look," I finally decided, "we do need to talk, but this isn't the time or place."

"When and where, then?" Alice was clearly frustrated. _Well, join the club._

"In an hour or so...your family's house." I knew the pack wouldn't be too happy about the location, but we would need privacy to hash all this out. I knew the Cullen's were forbidden to come onto the tribe's land, but I'd never heard of the treaty specifically prohibiting the pack from coming near the Cullen's' home. Granted, that was probably implied, but if it wasn't expressly stated...I'd take my chances. The pack and I were a package deal now; if the Cullen's wanted to speak to me, they'd do it with the pack around.

It looked like Alice had a lot more to say, but it must have been obvious from my expression that she wasn't getting anything more out of me right now. She sighed heavily, and then winced and wrinkled her face as she took in another, unnecessary breath. I remembered the wolves saying that the smell of vampires was a sickly-sweet odor that burned their noses. _What do __**they**__ smell like to the vampires? _I wondered.

"I'll come, Alice," I promised.

"We'll be waiting," she replied.

"We?" I wanted to know exactly what I was walking into.

"Esme and Carlisle and Emmett and Rose are waiting at the house. Jasper's waiting for me right over there," she gestured in the direction of the forest. My face must have been its usual expressive self, because she continued, "He isn't with us right now." I couldn't stifle a sigh-of relief. I wasn't really sure how ready I was to face any of them, much less almost all of them-but I _knew_ I wasn't ready for face _him_. I had chosen Jared as my forever, and felt only joy and no regret over that, but that didn't mean that I wanted to be face-to-face with Edward Cullen again anytime soon.

I heard the sound of footfalls behind me. "Go!" I whispered, and for once, Alice listened to me.

_"Who was it?"_ Jared's voice was low with repressed emotion.

"Alice," I whispered.

He stepped past me, onto the porch, and I knew he was looking to see if she was still here. I followed him out, pulling the door closed behind me.

"What did she want?" he asked after a moment.

"I'm not really sure. I'm not sure I want to know." I paused. "For some reason, she thought I was dead." That really confused me. Her visions showed the outcome of decisions made. Why would she have thought I was dead when I wasn't? Why wouldn't she have seen I was fine?

His body was trembling, but I knew it wasn't because he was about to phase. I knew he was thinking of me and our unborn baby girl. "I'm scared, too," was my quiet confession. "I know you won't want to go, but we need to know what she's seen. It might help."

"Sneaking away from your own birthday dinner?" I jumped and spun to face the now-open doorway. Sam's voice was pitched loudly enough that those in the living room would hear him. His teasing tone didn't match the serious look in his eyes.

"Can you blame us?" Jared did pretty well at matching Sam's tone.

"Not a bit," Sam said. "I'll give him a hand with these, Bella. Emily wants to ask you something."

I knew that one or both of them would be taking a look around. "Be careful," I whispered before turning to go back inside. I must have been a better actress than usual, because Charlie didn't seem to notice anything wrong. The others helped with distracting talk about the baby and the new football season. Even so, we wrapped things up as quickly as we could manage.

"Bye, dad" I gave him a hug as we started toward the door. "And thanks. This was nice."

"Glad you enjoyed it, Bells. Happy birthday, and congratulations."

Outside in the driveway, Sam gave the others a quick update.

"What's the plan?" Embry asked.

"I think Bella's right and we need to find out why they've come back. They obviously know something about Seattle, and it worries me that that psychic was so sure that—" Sam broke off without finishing his sentence, for which I was grateful.

"But, going there?" Leah questioned. Catching her tension, Daniel started kneading her shoulders.

"It _is_ private," I offered. "I know it's probably getting up in their faces a little, but maybe that's the best way to go into this."

"Shazaam," Quil whispered to Jake.

"Amen, bro," was the reply.

"Works for me," Jared agreed.

"Okay. Then who?" Sam moved on.

"You, Jake, Jared, and Quil," I announced.

"Not that I'm arguing, but why these particular wolves?" Everyone was just as curious as Sam to see my rationale.

"The Alpha and Beta pretty much _have_ to come—this does involve the treaty, after all. They'll recognize your surnames, too. That should make a statement in and of itself. Same thing for Quil. And Jared, because there's no way I'm going anywhere without him."

"What about the rest of us?" Leah asked, shaking off Daniel's hands to start pacing restlessly.

"Fill the others in, and stay on alert," Jake jumped in. "Stay close to the rez, but keep an ear open if we call." Sam nodded in agreement. Then,

"Emily, take the car and get Claire home. Everyone who's not going, do the same. Sue, can you let Billy and Old Quil know? Good. Jake, Quil, we'll go there as wolves. Jake and I will phase back human to talk with them; Quil, you'll stay wolf so we're linked to the rest of the pack. Everyone understand?" With nods of confirmation, everyone who was driving anywhere headed to their respective cars; Sam, Jake, and Quil glanced around before heading for the nearby woods to phase. I was sure they'd pace us on the drive out.

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"Bella, are you okay?" Jared briefly took his eyes off the road to look my way.

"I don't know. I know we need to do this, to find out why they're back, but part of me wants to run the other way. I'm not sure I'm ready for this."

His free hand reached over to clasp mine firmly. "You _can_ do this, Bella, I know you can. You're strong, strong enough to face this. And you deserve to. You can finally get the answers you didn't have for the past year—you can look them in the eye and make them tell youwhy they left. You can let them know what they did to you." He chuckled briefly. "And if you want to rub the current reality in their faces, feel free."

"How about we take it as it comes? At least to begin with." I wasn't sure what, exactly, I would want to tell them.

"One look at you will make part of it pretty darn clear, you know."

"Not if I keep the shawl on," I countered.

"She just saw you, Bella. She's probably told them already."

"I was almost completely hidden behind the door, remember. She only saw my head and shoulder." My wife was just the slightest bit smug at the moment.

"I thought you said she was psychic. What's to say she hasn't _Seen_ it that way?"

"Her visions could change. Besides, she got it wrong earlier about me; she might not pick this up either." I was betting that she wouldn't—if she'd Seen I was pregnant before appearing on my dad's porch, I couldn't believe that she wouldn't have said something.

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Jared POV

"Their hearing's probably good enough to hear the heartbeat." I recognized that I was grasping at straws now.

"There will be five others to hear beside the baby's, and I doubt they spent enough time around the last pack to really know what's usual for wolves. I'm not saying it'll last long, but hopefully long enough for us to start figuring some things out before we have to reveal anything." Her tone was certain and confident.

As we passed the city limits of Forks, Bella reached toward the dash and hit the power button for the radio. The radio station started playing a song I'd never heard before.

All the lives, always tempted to trade,  
Will they hate me for all the choices I made?  
Will they stop when they see me again?  
I can't stop now I know who I am.

Now I'm all yours, I'm not afraid,  
And you're all mine, say what they may.  
And all your love I'll take to a grave,  
And all my life starts now.

"How do you think they'll react to everything?" I wondered aloud.

"I have no idea," she admitted. "But no matter how they respond it won't change anything. We belong to each other and we're making our future together. I chose you, and I don't regret that and never will." There really wasn't anything I could say to that, besides being sappy and agreeing with her.

I used my cell to call Emily, asking her to pass on Bella's ideas to Sam and the others. I wasn't convinced we'd be able to keep the secret for long, but if the psychic was telling the truth about the mind-reader not being here, then maybe Bella was right that we could manage it for a little while.

As I turned the car off the main road, as directed by Bella, and onto a winding driveway, I saw the others briefly through the trees, before the split off from our path to approach from another direction. Eventually the driveway broke into a wide clearing, at the center of which was a large white farmhouse. By the time I brought the car to a stop, the porch went from being empty to being occupied by a half-dozen vampires.

"Here we go," I muttered under my breath.

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Leah POV

Everyone gathered at Sam and Emily's, just like always. The other members of the pack were restless, nervous that so many of our dominants were walking straight into a vampire den. The imprints were just as tense, wondering what might happen before tonight was over. Most of us were in the kitchen and living room; Embry and Paul were already in wolf-form outside, keeping tabs on what was going on.

For myself, I was thinking about Bella, what she must be thinking and feeling. She'd felt herself luckier than me, in not being faced everyday with the ones who'd hurt her, the way I had; the flip side was that unlike me she hadn't gotten answers about why they'd done it.

The silence in the cabin was broken by Jared's call. Afterward, Daniel seemed to decide that we'd done enough of doing nothing. "So, the vampires they're going to see are ones who used to live here? Good guys?"

"That's debatable," I snorted. "But, yeah, they're the ones who were here until a year ago. The ones who left Bella a broken shell when they vanished. The ones who made the pack return."

"For vampires, I guess you could say they are good," my little brother chose to give Daniel more of an answer. "Our ancestors made the treaty with them because they showed that they were different from the rest of their kind, the ones we hunt. They don't kill humans; they drink the blood of animals. It's how we can tell them apart—human-killers have red eyes, the Cullen's have gold. Or so I've heard—never met them personally."

Twin growls from outside brought every wolf inside to our feet. As soon as Paul called "Move out, now," we were in a mad dash for the door. Clothes were shredded without thought as we phased during our jumps down from the porch.

_What's going on?_ I demanded of Quil as my legs stretched out into a full-fledged run.

_He's back._

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AN: Well, here it is, the reason why I decided to write this story. I hope this answers everyone's question about our favorite vampire family.

I know this is a little shorter than usual, but this was a good stopping point for this chapter. This daily updating won't last—I've got to do lots of planning to get everything that's going into the next few chapters into proper order, but this one just came out and I couldn't wait to give it to you all (hope I haven't overloaded you with too many new chapters so close together).


	52. The Return

AN: This chapter takes place during chapter 50. Obviously, I didn't use it then because I didn't want to reveal just yet that the Cullen's were definitely coming back, and under what circumstances. I actually wrote the bulk of this chapter back in June when I was distracting myself from a bit of writer's block, so clearly, the Cullen's coming back has been in the works for a long time. Apologies to all who asked about them for my repeated evasions. Hope you enjoy.

If it isn't a saying that an author never stops tweaking their stories, then it should be. I went back and added little bits to Bella and Jared's post-appointment conversation in #50, and to their talk in the car in #51.

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Carlisle POV

I looked at the pages of the genetics journal that was open on the desk before me, but couldn't really own to actually reading, much less comprehending, the words before me. I was feeling the strain of our charade so much more these days, more than I ever had before in my nearly four centuries of existence. Perhaps it was just more complicated now; not only were we hiding from the humans, as always, but I was doing my best as the leader of the family to hide the weight of grief and pain I was feeling—a weight that had been present ever since September, when Edward, my first son, had insisted that we had to leave Forks immediately.

I had—we all had—known that this wasn't the best idea, but he had been resolute and adamant. We—all of us, including himself—were a perpetual danger to Bella, and the only thing to do to protect her was to leave. He had moved without complaint many times before, when one or the other of our family members had necessitated it, so we felt unable to deny him now that _he_ had requested a move. It had hurt not to be able to tell her goodbye, but he had insisted that this, too, was for the best. Edward had bidden her farewell alone, and we had left.

I had chosen not to resume hospital practice once we had settled in to our new home in Ithaca, New York. Hospitals now carried an indelible memory of Bella—her clumsiness, and of the first time I had met her, after Edward had saved her from dying by an errant automobile…Teaching in Cornell University's medical program had seemed a much better alternative.

I sighed, and abandoned the pretense of reading the journal. Even with the change in location and work environment, I had found myself struggling to lead the appearance of a normal life. It was perhaps fortunate for my students and their future patients that I was able to impart the required materials and experiences; my attention span was sorely lacking at present. _Perhaps I should consider a sabbatical next year, or even next semester_, I considered. It was likely not the best option, especially as I had only started this job at the middle of the last school year.

Some might say that it was one of the curses of our nature that we were ever in need of hobbies or interests to occupy our time. If I could find some puzzle or question…

Finally deciding to take a break from my fruitless endeavors, I shut down my computer and left my office to rejoin my family. Esme noticed my abstracted nature when I approached the living room, and her spirit lifted to see me.

"Something interesting in your medical journal, dear?" she inquired.

"There was genetics article discussing the prevalence of congenital medical conditions in defined minority populations," I replied.

"Is that bad for them?" Esme was trying to be interested, although I could see that wasn't really the case. Of all my family, only Edward had ever had any medical experience—the others had no interest.

"It would normally be a cause for concern, but—"

I belated realized that I had not greeted Esme properly, and drew her into my embrace. Her mood seemed to have returned to its previous melancholy, and I knew she was again thinking of the human daughter she had claimed and then been forced to abandon. My beloved wife clung to me quietly, dry-eyed although I knew she would be weeping if that were possible. Seeking some kind of distraction for us both, I turned in the direction of the living room and surveyed our gathered children.

Rosalie was desultorily flipping through an auto parts magazine. Jasper was staring off into space, a book abandoned on his lap, no doubt being buffeted by the emotions Esme and I were emitting. Alice had a collection of fashion magazines spread out on a table, but apparently even the latest couture gowns could not hold her attention. Emmett was randomly flipping through channels on the flatscreen TV.

I could not help a mental sigh, as I thought about the other child missing from our family tableau: Edward. He had not remained with us long after our move, quickly tiring of Alice's requests to be allowed to call Bella or reply to her emails. Only a direct threat from Edward to burn Alice's entire wardrobe had kept her from seeking any visions of Bella. All he had said before leaving was that he wanted to be alone for a while. Edward called in every couple months, nowhere near often enough to satisfy Esme, and otherwise ignored any voicemails or text messages that we sent. Unlike the last time he had left us, when it had just been he and I and Esme, I didn't fear that he had fallen off the dietary wagon; rather, I worried about his mental and emotional state. However right he felt leaving had been, it was clear that he wasn't happy.

Suddenly, Jasper sat upright, his book falling forgotten to land upside down on the carpet. I could see that it was one of his prized historical volumes, though he paid that fact no heed. "That lead-in-turn it back," he snapped at Emmett, in a tone uncharacteristically harsh for him. Emmett hurried to comply, switching the channel back to a national news program. The story which had caught his attention was just beginning by the time the screen's image refocused.

"The city of Seattle is in a panic, as an apparent serial killer continues to stalk the streets and alleys," the broadcaster began. "Over the past four months, the toll of dead and missing in the Emerald City has continued to climb. Victims seem to belong to no particular ethnic or social group, and include all age ranges and genders. Authorities cannot confirm any connections between victims or offer any certainty that there one individual or group is indeed responsible, but the sheer number of victims thus far argues for some kind of connection. Thus far, 39 individuals are confirmed to have been killed, many having been viciously slashed with unknown weapons, and a further two dozen have officially be reported missing; however, unnamed police sources acknowledge that these too are likely to be added to the total number of fatalities, and add that there may be an unknown number of potential victims among the city's marginalized populations for whom reports are unlikely to have been filed."

"Shit," Jasper swore, his polite Southern-gentleman persona nowhere in sight; before us was the fierce vampire warrior he had been for nearly a century of his existence. The use of profanity was so atypical for him that we all stared in shock, and even Esme forbore to scold.

"Jazz?" Alice was at his side in a flash.

"Who could possibly be that stupid?" he muttered, not seeming to have heard her. "Do they want to get caught? Or bring the Volturi down on their heads?"

"Jasper?" I stepped forward. "What is going on? Does this mean something to you?"

His eyes met mine, memory darkening them from gold to almost black. "Someone is creating an army," he announced in a dead voice.

"An army?" Emmett was on his feet. "An army of what?"

"Newborn vampires. I've seen it before-lived through it. The signs are unmistakable. That many dead, killed that way, more missing...it's an army."

"Why would anyone create an army in Seattle?" Rosalie looked disgusted. "It's not like it's the South or anything-I thought the wars never caught on so far north?"

"They didn't," he agreed. "But it's exactly the same pattern. And one I don't like."

"Is there anything we can do?" Esme wondered.

"Should we?" Rosalie shot back.

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin," I quoted softly. "I think that we ought to at least learn more about this situation. Then we could decide what it is that could or should be done."

"Jazz and I will go," Alice announced. Her eyes lost focus, and we all knew she was looking to see the outcome of their trip.

"Bella..." her voice was strained and her brow furrowed.

"She's four hours away, pixie," Emmett tried to reassure her. "She's safe."

"Then why don't I see her?"

Icy dread filled me at Alice's question; a glance at my wife and children revealed similar dismay. We had ample experience with Bella's peculiar kind of luck, and Alice was quite right: she ought to be able to see Bella's fate, especially now that she was looking for it. Esme gasped, and flew to the desk where a laptop computer was resting. Her fingers blurred across the keys as she searched for past news articles on the Seattle murders and for any lists of victims. Within minutes, she exhaled audibly and told us, "Bella isn't mentioned." All of us, even Rosalie, I thought, breathed signs of relief.

"Jazz, come on. The quicker we get to Seattle, the quicker we can get to Forks," Alice flew up the stairs as she spoke, re-emerging two minutes later with a pair of compact backpacks, one of which she handed to Jasper. Esme handed her a pair of airline reservation sheets only just printed off.

"Edward told you to leave her alone," Rosalie hissed.

"Edward isn't _here_, Rose," Alice retorted, before turning and flying out the door. Before Jasper could follow her, I stepped forward and touched his arm.

"Let us know what you find in Seattle."

"I will," he promised, then dashed after his mate.

Jasper's call had come later than expected, and when I did get it, his assessment did nothing to reassure me. He was more certain than ever that a vampire army had been unleashed in Seattle, and the havoc they were causing was only increasing.

"I just can't figure out what they're doing. I can't see any signs that any other group has claimed the territory, so it doesn't make sense for someone to be making an army-who are they going to fight?"

"What does Alice see?" I asked.

"Nothing. She's still determined to go to Forks and check on Bella, but she still can't see her, and now she can't see what will happen when we get there."

"Be careful, then," I cautioned, knowing without him saying so that they were still going to Forks. Alice wasn't about to be dissuaded now. "We've checked the weather, and it will be sunny tomorrow. You'll have to stay under cover until you can locate Bella-if she's even still there," I realized. It was early September now, and entirely likely that she had gone off to college somewhere-I remembered her initial dislike for Washington's wet weather.

"We'll see what we can find. And yes, we'll be careful," Jasper promised.

"We'll catch the first flight out in the morning" I informed him. "Meet us at the house when you can."

We sat in our old living room the next evening, waiting for Alice and Jasper to arrive. In some ways, it seemed like we had never left, once the sheets were removed from the furniture. As they flew into the room to join us, Alice's expression was a mixture of hurt and confusion; Jasper's was one of protectiveness and concern.

"Did you find Bella?" Esme couldn't hold back the question.

"Yes..." Alice dragged out the answer.

"Well?" Emmett wanted to know.

"I'm not sure," Alice admitted. "She was at her dad's house tonight, but I'm not sure that she still lives there. Her scent isn't as strong there as it used to be."

"She's out of high school now-is it that surprising that she'd want to be on her own?" Rosalie asked with marked disinterest.

"She loves Charlie. If she's still in town, why wouldn't she still live there?" Alice wasn't convinced by Rosalie's answer.

"We didn't smell Bella as strongly there, but there certainly was something else there to be smelled, inside and all around the house," Jasper offered.

"It was disgusting," Alice's face twisted. "Like smelling a...a wet dog or something."

With almost human slowness, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and I all looked at one another. That description was familiar and more than familiar, although it was not something we'd encountered or thought of in some seventy years.

"Is it possible?" Esme searched my eyes intently.

"I honestly do not know," I admitted. Alice and Jasper had not been with us before, but their description of that scent was telling.

"_What?"_ Alice demanded.

"Werewolves," Rosalie answered. "Dogs."

"Big dogs," Emmett added.

"We last encountered them in the 1930's, when we lived near Hoquiam," I explained. "There were three members of that pack; Quileutes."

"The treaty," Jasper realized.

"Yes. When we moved here a few years ago, I investigated but there was no evidence whatsoever that there were still wolves. I assumed—perhaps erroneously, in hindsight—that it meant they were gone." We sat silently for several moments, contemplating what this might possibly mean. Finally, Esme returned us to the primary issue.

"Did you see her?"

Alice nodded. "And spoke to her, for a minute."

Rosalie inhaled sharply. "Have a grand reunion then?"

"No," my pixie-like daughter seemed quite forlorn by this fact. "She seemed upset, and anxious for us to leave."

"There were a lot of people there, Ali," Jasper pulled her into a hug. "A reunion like this isn't exactly ideal in front of an audience."

"I suppose," Alice still didn't perk up.

Jasper looked our way. "She said she'd come here as soon as she could, in an hour or so maybe."

The next seventy-five minutes passed with excruciating slowness. I literally had to hold Esme down to keep her from turning the house upside down in a cleaning frenzy; my argument that Bella wouldn't expect a dazzlingly clean house fell on deaf ears. Jasper was similarly engaged with Alice, and Emmett was trying to soothe Rosalie. Finally, we heard the sound of a vehicle turning off the highway onto the winding driveway that led up to the house.

"Whoa, did her truck finally keel over and die?" Emmett chortled.

"One can only hope," his wife muttered.

I took a deep, if unnecessary breath and rose to my feet, making my way over to the door at human speed. The car, an ordinary American-made sedan by the engine noise, approached the house, slowed, and stopped. A car door opened and closed, followed a moment later by a second. My ears caught the sounds of two rapid heartbeats. I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, my family following right behind me.

Bella was standing beside a black car, a tall, muscular, obviously Quileute man next to her. She was looking at him as he looked at us, a challenging glare emanating from his black eyes. Before I could think of what to say, more heartbeats began to echo from the west, from the edge of the expansive lawn. Looking that way, I saw another Quileute man emerging from the trees, flanked on either side by a massive wolf, one red, one brown, both about the size of a horse. All three paused, then the red wolf began to vibrate.

The process of the change was fascinating. The shaking of his body increased, and he reared up slightly onto his hind legs. His form began to ripple, and the fur began to flow and to somehow disappear under the emerging reddish skin. Within a handful of moments, a young man stood where the wolf had formerly been. He was tall, at least 6 ' 7 " by my estimate, and was completely naked. He bent down and pulled something from around his ankle. It turned out to be a pair of shorts, which he pulled on before the trio continued their advance. When they had joined Bella and her companion, all five turned to look at us.

"Hello, Bella," I finally decided that we could at least start with common courtesies, until I could figure anything else out.

"Carlisle," she nodded but made no other gesture of greeting; it struck me how different this visit was from her first to our home—then, she had greeted us warmly and without reservation.

"What is all this, Bella?" Alice burst out.

Bella's brown eyes unexpectedly tensed. "I said I'd come, Alice. I _never_ said I'd come alone. Where I go, they go. Deal with it."

My adopted daughter's face fell. "You're not happy to see us."

"Why would I have reason to be upset, Alice? You called me your best friend, yet you left me without a word, without a phone call, text message, or even a bloody email! You all called me a member of your family, yet you just tossed me aside, without a single goodbye, like a broken toy. Now why, exactly, should I be unhappy to see you again?" Bella's voice fairly dripped venom.

We all winced, suddenly realizing that the situation had just become very complicated. Bella had, it seemed, finally learned caution where we were concerned. Beside me, Jasper took a step backward.

"They hate us," he whispered quickly.

"And Bella?"

He shook his head slightly. "No. She's angry and apprehensive, though."

"We mean no harm to anyone," I directed my words to the Quileute man who'd arrived with the two wolves. He appeared to be several years older than any of the others, and seemed to be the leader.

"There are more kinds of harm than just the physical," his voice was low and angry. "Why are you back?"

"There are reasons," I confirmed, "just as I am sure there are reasons you came here today. Would you be willing to come inside and we can discuss everything?"

"I think we'd all be more comfortable outside, where we can breathe," he replied.

"But Bella would be more comfortable inside," countered the man standing beside her. The leader thought for a moment, then nodded.

"We can open some of the windows," I offered, turning to lead the way. With a glance, I requested my family to follow me, which they did, albeit with reluctance to put the wolves behind them. The one who had remained a wolf stayed outside, but Bella and the other three came inside after us.

"Bella, since you know everyone, would you perform introductions?"

"This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, his wife Esme, and their adopted children: Emmett and Rosalie, Alice and Jasper." She pointed to each of us in turn. Under other circumstances, I might have found it interesting that she was introducing us to the wolves, instead of the other way around. "This is Sam Uley, Alpha of the La Push pack; Jacob Black, his Beta. The wolf outside is Quil Ateara, and this," obviously referring to her companion, "is Jared Mahan."

Three of those four surnames were very familiar—we were looking at men descended from the last wolves we had met; who seemed to have less reason to trust us than their ancestors had. I did note that there had been some kind of role reversal—in the last pack, a Black had been the Alpha, and Uley the Beta.

My family settled into seating on one side of the living room. I did my best to remain calmly beside Esme; Jasper and Emmett displayed more tension, placing themselves partially in front of their mates. Bella and Jared settled onto a sofa opposite us, but the other two remained standing, flanking them.

"Why are you back?" Uley demanded again.

"I was worried about you, Bella," Alice explained. Bella's face contorted and she gave a single bitter laugh.

"It took you a whole year to get worried about me, Alice? What about any of the last 363 days?"

My eyes flew to the calendar tacked to the wall across the room, abandoned and forgotten when we'd left. It was still open to September of last year, a bright gold star affixed to the space for the 13th day of the month. Of all the cruelest, bitterest ironies: that we should return here exactly on the one year anniversary of the day our lives had begun to fall apart. Today was Bella _19__th_birthday. Now I really was at a loss for what to say.

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Bella POV

There was a minute or two of silence as both sides just stared at each other, a tense détente.

"Why are you here?" I finally asked., willing to be the one to break the silence—to, as Jared had said in the car, perhaps finally get my answers. "You left last year without a backward glance, so why are you back now?"

"We saw a news report on Seattle," Jasper began.

"And naturally worried about the fragile, clumsy human; I'm touched." I couldn't help the sarcasm. "I wonder that you bothered to come, though. Surely Alice could have told you I was fine."

"No, I couldn't, Bella," she burst out. "I couldn't see you."

"Is that why you thought she was dead?" Jared demanded.

Alice nodded. "The only times that's ever happened before has been when the person I was looking for was dead."

"So why'd you stop seeing me? I'm obviously still alive and I've been making lots of decisions."

"I don't know. I saw you before just fine. So what's changed?" Alice's hands clutched her spiky hair in demonstrable frustration. "Wait, when did you start spending time with them?" She gestured to the wolves surrounding me.

I blinked, wondering what that had to do with anything. "Jake, back in January; the rest of them in March."

"That's got to be it. I can't see them, so I can't see you either."

I didn't have to look to know that the pack members were filing this information away for future reference. I was rather grateful for it myself—if she couldn't see me, then she couldn't see the secrets I was hoping to keep for a little while longer.

"Why did you start _associating_ with them? Developed a taste for monsters, did you?" Rosalie's mouth twisted.

"They aren't monsters, any more than you are," I replied, not reacting to her spite. It really struck me that she and Leah actually had a fair bit in common in terms of attitude, not that either of them would appreciate being told that. "As for why—"

"Maybe we can save that for later," Sam's tone indicated his desire to get this—whatever this was—going.

"So you were worried about Bella with all the bloodsucker activity in Seattle. Great. You've seen she's still alive. Super. So now what are you going to do?" Jared followed his Alpha's lead and got down to practicalities.

"You don't seem surprised at that information," Carlisle observed.

"We've been hunting and chasing leeches around here for almost the last year. So yeah, we know."

"Here? Who? Why?" Emmett burst out, seemingly miffed at having missed some excitement in otherwise boring Forks, Washington.

"Do the names Victoria and Laurent mean anything to you?" Sam asked the room at large.

"Why the hell did they come back here?" Emmett growled.

"Why do you think?" Jake snapped back. "They wanted Bella."

"For revenge," I elaborated. "According to Laurent, James was Victoria's mate. You all killed him, so she wants to return the favor—a mate for a mate. I guess she doesn't know or doesn't care that it's not true anymore."

"Bella, yes you are—"

"No, Alice, I'm not. Edward made that perfectly clear when he left me." I was getting rather annoyed that she didn't seem to hear what I was saying—I supposed it shouldn't surprise me, but it was definitely irksome.

"Wait, Bella," Jasper addressed me directly. "When did you talk to Laurent, and why?"

"Back in March. I finally found the meadow again, and he turned up. Seemed pretty surprised that you were gone but I wasn't. I saw that his eyes were red, so if he ever actually tried the new lifestyle, it clearly didn't take. I figured trying to have a conversation was better than getting bitten. He said he was here on her behalf, to see if you were still protecting your _pet_. Laurent was supposed to report back to her, but he was apparently a little too thirsty to follow orders." I shuddered slightly at the memory of him standing before me, one arm drawn back about to strike.

"Why didn't he kill you?" Jasper shook his head in disbelief.

"Because _we_ protected her. Ran him off, tore him apart and had a nice bonfire. We forgot the marshmallows, though." Jake gave a vicious smirk at the thought. "We've been after the other one ever since, but she keeps slipping away. She's escaped every trap we've ever tried to set." It's like she's got some sixth sense or something."

"She just might have exactly that," Jasper shifted slightly from his watchful position in front of Alice. "Some kind of self-preservation instinct could manifest as a gift. I knew several soldiers who could almost sense an impending ambush."

"You were a soldier?" I asked.

"In the Civil War. You didn't know that?" he seemed surprised.

"Edward, volunteer information? Jasper, the only things he told me about you were that you and Alice were the last to join the family, and that you were newest to the lifestyle, so it was harder for you. Why would you expect him to tell me anything? _You don't belong in my world, Bella._" I quoted him. "He _said_ it was because he heard more of your stories than you'd've shared willingly, so it was his way of giving you privacy; _I _say it was because he wanted to keep me as much in the dark as possible."

I could see Jasper wince again, and a tiny part of me felt bad for the wash of emotions he had to be getting from me. But in no way was I going to feel sorry for feeling the way I did.

"As enlightening as all this is," Sam said sarcastically, though I knew it wasn't directed at me, "You still haven't answered the question of what you're going to do now that you're here."

"Or how long you're staying," Jake added.

"What do you think we should do?" Rosalie sneered.

"If I have anything to say about it," Jared almost growled, "you're going to help us keep Bella alive. You're going to help us end this once and for all. None of this would have happened if it weren't for you."

"It is certainly possible that many things might be different if Bella's path had not crossed ours," Carlisle agreed. "We are willing to discuss—" he was interrupted when Jasper spun to face the back of the house and Alice said, "Jazz?"

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Jared POV

He whirled back around. "Rose, what did you do?"

The blonde Barbie doll had the grace to look embarrassed. "All I told him was that Alice was coming here to check on Bella. I didn't think he'd even listen to the message—he usually doesn't. I certainly didn't think he'd follow us back."

"What's going on?" I growled, praying that this didn't mean what I feared it did.

"Edward is coming, apparently," the doc-vamp said heavily.

"I don't see him," Alice whispered.

"I feel him, though." Jasper relayed. "He's furious we're here. I can't tell if he knows about our guests or not. He'll be here soon."

"E.T., phone home," Jake muttered.

I whipped my head around to see that Bella had gone dead white, her eyes wide and dilated. The last time—the only time—I'd seen her like this, was during Paul's foot/mouth mistake back in March. Thinking only of Bella, my arms went around her, lifting her onto my lap. She instantly buried her face in the crook between my shoulder and neck. My left hand went up into her hair, stroking.

"Kwop kilawtley," I murmured. "Nayeli, hach Bella. Don't let him do this to you again, please."

She shuddered once, then lifted her head to meet my eyes. "What did that mean? That first part."

"Stay with me forever." I was relieved beyond words that she hadn't tumbled off into a full-blown panic. That was the last thing that either she or our unborn daughter needed right now.

"I thought I'd promised that back in July," she valiantly tried to offer a faint smile.

"We both did."

"I meant it," she freed one hand from under her shawl, bringing it up to my face. Disregarding our audience, both present and incoming, she shifted just enough so that she could kiss me.

"What's that?" the little pixie's shriek was loud enough to break us apart. Bella froze in my arms, and we both realized that it was her left hand resting over my ear. A slow exhalation, and a brief resting of her forehead against mine, and Bella answered her.

"It's a ring, Alice."

"An engagement ring?" this in a tone of disbelief.

"No. It's her wedding ring," I informed them all. I knew it might be petty, and in no small part attributable to the wolf part of my nature, but every instinct told me to stake my claim openly.

A veritable cacophony erupted. "What?" "You got married?"

"Impossible." A new voice spoke from the direction Jasper had been looking a few minutes earlier. Keeping Bella securely on my lap, I looked that way. Standing just inside the living room was a seventh leech. His clothes were filthy and ragged, his hair wild, and his eyes pitch black. "You mis-spoke. Bella is my mate."

Kwop kilawtley = stay with me forever

Nayeli, hach Bella = I love you, beautiful Bella

Many thanks to mc7575 for acting as something of a beta reader for this chapter. You were a huge help.


	53. The Reaction

AN: Immense thanks to mc7575 for again helping me out with comments and suggestions for this chapter.

Jasminn: I like how I'm portraying Bella, too. I'm so happy you like the story. I definitely plan to keep writing, and here's the next chapter.

Heather and PLEAAAAAASEEEE: I'm sorry you had to wait so long-it wasn't on purpose. It took me longer than I hoped to get the chapter to come out like I wanted. Hope it's worth it.

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Bella POV

I remained as I was for several moments, mentally steeling myself for what was to come. I was also trying very hard not to lose my temper. Trying and, I suspected, failing.

"No, he didn't misspeak, and no, I'm not your mate. Jared and I were married back in July. Are you going to congratulate us, Mr. Cullen?" My voice was acidic.

"What?" he stared at me like I'd spoken in a foreign language.

"It's customary to offer congratulations. I was just asking if you were going to do so."

"You love me; you can't have married him." He was clearly delusional.

"What gives you the right to say that? Jared and I were both 18. He loves me, I love him; he asked me, I said yes. You don't like it? Tough. You lost the right to have any opinion of my actions the day you left me." It was surprising, a little, how good it felt to get all this out. "What did you expect? That you'd just show up here and everything would be like it was before? That I'd just take you back, no questions asked, no blame?"

"He's a dog! A monster!" I bristled in offense at Edward's insult.

"What gives you the right to say something like that? Just because he—they—get a little furry sometimes doesn't make them monsters."

A cracking sound echoed through the room. It took me a moment to realize that the doorframe in which Edward was standing had splintered from the force of his hands gripping it. His eyes blazed black fire as he stared at me, blacker than I'd ever seen them before, even on the first day we'd met, and he took a step toward me. For the first time ever, I was absolutely and completely terrified of him; I wanted nothing more in the world than to run far, far away. My heart began to pound as adrenaline began to race through me; my breath caught in my throat, from the memory of how appealing my blood was to him.

Before I knew what was happening, I was back on the couch and Jared was on his feet, lunging in Edward's direction, growling. Instantly and in unison, Sam and Jake grabbed his arms, hauling him backward. The air was full of tension; it would only take a spark to ignite this powder keg we were in.

"Jared, calm down!" Sam's voice throbbed with the Alpha inflection. Faced with that pressure, Jared didn't fight as they pressed him back down onto the couch beside me. I clung to him, hoping the contact would help calm us both down. It only took a moment before Jared's arms were around me again and I was back on his lap.

"I've got it, Sam," Jared told his Alpha, who regarded him intently before stepping aside. "Leech, I'll warn you now: you so much as twitch in her direction again and I swear I'll tear you apart. The treaty can be damned for all I'll care." The threat was all the more potent for the lack of emotion behind it.

My fear was gone just as quickly as it had come, and I felt like I was radiating rage. How dare he do this to me? "The way you treated me was what's truly monstrous. The pack has done nothing but befriend me and protect me; they've never hurt me—unlike _you_." I was on my feet by then, full of fury that he'd come back like this, insulting me and those I cared for most.

"Woohoo!" Emmett bellowed, setting my ears ringing.

"What?" I snapped, not taking my eyes off Edward.

"You're pregnant!"

I abruptly realized that my rapid ascent from Jared's lap had sent my concealing shawl floating down to the floor. My knit top skimmed along my expanding stomach, making my condition easily apparent. "Obviously," I snorted, instantaneously deciding to make the best of the accidental announcement. "Come on, it took you this long to figure it out? Really? As many times as you've been through high school, you can't come up with the logical reason for a pair of eighteen-year-olds getting married a month after high school graduation?"

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Jared POV

I reached down to retrieve Bella's shawl, setting it on the couch as I rose to my feet to stand behind her. My arms reached around her, possessively claiming both my wife and our child. I swept my gaze across the group of vampires facing us, almost daring them to say anything. The big one had a really intense look of concentration on his face.

"Shot-gun wedding, huh?" he asked. I winced, vividly remembering how Bella had reacted to Daniel's similar assumption two months ago. Once again, though, Bella surprised me with a soft giggle.

"Actually, no. Charlie's shotgun was safely at home when we told him. Not that he probably didn't think about it later on, but by then Jared had already proposed, so there wouldn't have been a point."

"When?" The little pixie was on her feet, but pulled back against her mate. If the empath was trying to keep her calm, it was clearly a wasted effort.

"When, what?" I was trying to figure out what she meant.

"When did you propose? Where? How?"

I looked down at Bella. "Is she for real?" I asked.

Bella looked back up at me. "Alice has _priorities_."

Part of me didn't want to share our private moment, but then I realized the mind-reader would catch everything I thought, so… "About 12 hours after we found out Bella was pregnant. At a little spot in the woods on the rez, where we had one of our first conversations. Down on one knee with my grandmother's ring." As I spoke, I thought back to that incredible day, letting the memories fill my mind. Bella wiggled her fingers so that the light sparkled on the emerald and diamonds.

"Why didn't you see this, Alice?" Edward growled at her; Jasper tensed a little in response.

"I don't know, Edward, I wish I knew why I can't see them, believe me," Alice muttered.

"Your visions are based on people making decisions," Bella reflected. "The pack tends to react rather than planning out in advance. They're probably too unpredictable for you to catch."

"I am sorry, Edward," Alice apologized. "I can't see them, or anyone connected to them, it seems. Bella's future is blank to me." Turning back to Bella and me, she continued as if he hadn't interrupted. "I thought you said that was her wedding ring, not her engagement ring?"

"It was both." I wanted to make it clear that even though I didn't have the kind of money they did, that I hadn't cheated Bella of anything. "I did offer another ring for the wedding, but—"

"We were only engaged for a month—having two rings didn't make sense. Besides, this one is special; I didn't want anything else." Bella was as clear as ever on her opinion.

"Twenty-seven days," I corrected.

"Excuse me?"

"I proposed on June 6th, and we got married on July 3rd; that's not quite a month."

She made sure I saw her eye-roll. "Fine. Then there was even less reason for a second ring."

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Bella POV

I knew that Alice would insist of hearing every last detail of the whole wedding if she wasn't headed off. I scrambled to think of something to say to get things back on track. I wasn't about to spend the whole night here getting through all of this. Before I'd thought of anything…

"Bella, can we please go outside and talk?" his voice was just as smooth and persuasive as ever, though I didn't seem to be susceptible to it as I once had been. Maybe he'd finally figured out that his insults were only pissing me off, and he was now trying another tactic. Probably was planning to dazzle me into mindless compliance.

"You want to talk? Fine, start."

"Bella, please, just a little way from the house so we can be private."

My eyes flashed and I felt my temper flaring. "The last time I listened to you say something like that, you left me alone in the woods! There's not a chance in hell that I'll fall for that one twice."

"You left her alone in the woods?" Rosalie hissed, sliding forward to the edge of her seat on the sofa.

"Right by her house," Edward tried to excuse his action, but she clearly wasn't buying what he was selling any more than the pack would. I was trying to brace for that—I'd told them some of what had happened that terrible day, but not everything.

"I know you could never read my mind," I pressed on, determined that I was going to get everything out. "But how in the world could you not guess that I'd try to follow you?"

"A normal person would know better than to try."

"Well, I've never been normal, have I? Wasn't that what frustrated you most about me? That I never reacted the way you expected me to? Why should that day have been any different?"

"You tried to follow him?" Esme whispered.

"Tried, and got lost. Sam's the one who found me."

"A good three miles away, cold, wet, unresponsive…" Sam was scowling fiercely, and thinking who-knew-what.

Without any sort of warning, Rosalie sprang up from her seat, blurred across the room, and slapped Edward full across the face. "Damn you," she snarled, as he literally staggered backward. The crack of her hand against his face reminded me of when she'd hit the baseball during that momentous game a year and a half ago. I was stunned to see that his marble-like skin now bore a spider-web of cracks.

"Rose," Carlisle spoke calmly.

"He deserved it." She unrepentantly returned to Emmett's side. By the time she sat back down, Edward's face was back to normal, as if the injury had never happened.

"Bella, why won't you talk to me?" Clearly, Edward wasn't above begging.

"I didn't say I wouldn't talk to you, just that I won't go off alone with you to do it. There's nothing I have to say to you that they can't hear, and nothing you could say to me that they wouldn't find out about either."

"Why did you marry him? Were you…forced into this?"

"Jared has never forced me into anything! Nothing has happened between us that I didn't want."

"But you love me…"

"I did love you," I agreed, "once. But you made it clear that you didn't want me, that I didn't belong in your world. It took me a long time to accept that you were right—I don't belong with you, I belong right here, with Jared. I did just what you wanted me to—I'm having a nice normal human life.

Jared's suddenly rigid body supporting mine reminded me that more people than just Edward were hearing this conversation. "That's what you were quoting the day you met my parents?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "But it doesn't make it any less true. I can't imagine anyone better than you, or a life any different from the one we're making." My hand stroked down his arm, over his tattoo.

"He's a child," Edward clearly wasn't planning to give up with the arguing or insults after all, based on his very rude intrusion into our private moment.

"He's eighteen—nearly nineteen," I retorted. "So he's older than you. Damn it, Edward. Why did you come back? What do you want?" He was acting like a spoiled child who was being told 'no' when they wanted to hear 'yes'.

"I came back because of you, Bella."

"I don't believe you. You said that you were tired of pretending, that I was no good for you. Well, I found someone who I _am_ good for—someone who's infinitely better for me than you could ever have dreamed of being. But even if, for the sake of argument, I believed you, then what? Am I supposed to do like my mom and walk out on my husband? Go her one better and abandon my child, too? This is my life now. I've made my bed and you're not welcome there."

"Don't you mean I don't sleep in it anymore?" Was he really trying to play that kind of game? Jared knew exactly what had—and had not—happened between Edward and I, so whatever Edward was trying to pull wasn't going to work. Well, he wasn't the only one who could play rough.

"In the first place, you don't sleep at all. In the second…Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"You know all those things I didn't want you to think about?"

"Yeah."

"I changed my mind."

"A woman's prerogative, love."

"Uh-huh," I purred. "So is getting exactly what I want."

"And what do you want, hach Bella?"

"What I always want: you." I proved it by moving in for a kiss. I knew it might be petty and inflammatory, but the larger part of me was doing this because I wanted to, because Jared was…Jared.

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Jared POV

Instinct had me angling my head to capture Bella's approaching lips. My hands lifted to cradle the back of her head. I knew that doing this in front of her apparently unbalanced ex-boyfriend might not be the best idea, but I wasn't worried about that. I knew that my brothers were ready for trouble if he started any, and this was what Bella wanted—needed—from me.

"Nayeli, Bella," I breathed, when I'd pulled back.

"I love you, too, Jared."

Unspoken but understood in Bella's consent were the words 'within reason'. Knowing he'd hear my thoughts, and maybe even see what I remembered, I let my mind wander back over the past six months with Bella. Cuddling in her bed…kissing…catching sight of her right before our first date…our days at the beach here and in Florida…prom…Bella in my robe…Bella in nothing but a tangle of sheets…

I didn't have to be linked to my pack brothers to know that they were making their own contributions….the night Sam had found Bella…those afternoons Bella had spent in Jake's garage…her physically trying to hold herself together…

"Enough," he snarled to us.

"You want to talk in private?" I shot back. "Then let's go."

"Jared, no!" Bella's hands clutched my shirt.

"I just want to talk to him, love. That's all. Stay here with Sam and Jake, okay?"

She regarded with justifiable suspicion, especially given how I'd tried to go after him earlier. "Just talking? No fighting?"

"No fighting," I promised, sealing it with a kiss. Not that a part of me wouldn't love to tear into him, but I wasn't going to upset her by actually doing it.

We walked a little ways from the house, out of Bella's hearing range if not anyone else's. Then I faced Bella's ex.

"How could you do that to her?" he hissed.

"What? You'd think better of me if I'd gotten her pregnant and _not_ married her? Right."

"You shouldn't have gotten my Bella pregnant to begin with."

"Get it through your stone skull—Bella isn't yours, not since you threw her away. But one man's trash is another man's treasure. I don't know what you were thinking. I can't fathom how you could have done to her what I know you did, and maybe even more that she hasn't shared yet. I hate you for making her hurt like that. And, yet, I could almost be grateful to you. Your leaving her led her to me, and I will live every day being thankful for her presence in my life. I love her so much, so much more than you could ever understand or echo, and I will never stop showing her that." I showed him a little more of our drive back from the concert, wanting him to _see_ that everything had been Bella's choice.

"_I want this, Jared." _

"_We've had a lot happen this weekend. I would hate for us to take this step now, only to wish differently later."_

_Bella smiled at me almost tolerantly. "I know what you mean, and I love you all the more for feeling that way. But I know what I'm saying, and I promise I won't regret anything."_

"_Are you absolutely sure?" I could feel my willpower weakening._

"_I am sure that I love you more than I can possibly imagine or express. You are the most caring, considerate, amazing man I have ever known, and being with you has made me so happy. I know that I haven't always made things easy for you, but it means so much to me that you've been so thoughtful with me, and taken things slowly so I'd be comfortable."_

"_It was nothing less than what you needed and deserved, Bella," I managed._

"_That was what I needed then," she agreed. "But that's not what I want anymore. I want…you."_

He sank to the ground, as if I wasn't even there. "I only wanted her to be safe."

"You sure picked a stupid way to go about it. Do you have any idea how much danger she was in after you left, before she started spending time with us? You brought her into your world, then tossed her aside to deal with the fallout on her own. _You_ made the decision to leave and didn't have the courtesy or the nerve to ask Bella's opinion before deciding the rest of her life—you just made the choice for her like she was a child or mentally incompetent!"

"I never wanted to hurt her; I love her." Which, if true, only made him more pathetic.

"Don't feed me that crap—that just makes it even worse. You _chose_ to put her through that hell. You may be over a century old, and a mind-reader, but you have no clue at all what love really is. What you did to her was as far away from love as you can possibly get. You chose, and you were wrong. Maybe you're actually sorry, but that's not always enough. Sometimes, there are no second chances. You lost her, now deal with it, because I'm done listening." I abruptly turned around and headed back to the house. I wasn't in the mood to spend any more time at this vampire's pity party.

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Bella POV

I watched the doorway after Jared and Edward had disappeared. Jake moved to take Jared's spot next to me on the couch.

Ever the doctor, Carlisle, asked, "How are you doing, Bella?"

"I'm fine now that the morning sickness is over. Those couple months really sucked."

"How far along are you?"

"Just now 20 weeks, so 5 months. I'm due at the end of January."

"Did you want this, Bella?" I was surprised at Rosalie's question.

"I wasn't exactly planning to be married and pregnant at 18, but I'm not upset or anything. Jared and I…this would have come sooner or later, it just ended up being sooner than we'd thought. This wasn't what I expected, but I wouldn't trade it for anything." I lightly rubbed my hand over my stomach.

"What brought you to the wolves? Or are you allowed to say?" Rosalie asked.

"I salvaged a couple of motorcycles that were heading to the dump. Jake and I rebuilt them."

"_I_ rebuilt them and you watched," he corrected.

"Whatever. Just remember that Charlie still doesn't know about those. Might not like you as much if he knew you taught me to ride," I reminded him.

"Hey, I'm not an idiot. Okay, so maybe it wasn't my most brilliant idea, but it was the first thing you'd shown any interest in for four months—I wasn't going to argue about it."

"What?" Alice was stunned.

"Honestly, Alice, did you think I was going to spend the year skipping around singing show tunes?" I snapped. "Most of my senior year is a complete blank to me. I'm honestly not even sure how I graduated—unless all the teachers just felt sorry for the girl who practically had a nervous breakdown when her boyfriend left town." I looked up defiantly, only to see six pairs of stunned eyes facing me.

"What happened, Bella?" Esme whispered, looking as if she wanted to cry but couldn't.

"You don't have to do this, love," I turned to see that they had returned intact. Immediately, Jake stood up and resumed his previous position. Edward stood uncertainly near the door before Esme beckoned him over.

I pressed myself firmly against Jared and closed my own eyes. Pulling up what I did remember of that time wasn't going to be pleasant, but I was going to make sure that they understood just what they'd done to me.

"The first week, I didn't really eat or sleep or do anything. Apparently, the only thing I said was 'he's gone'. The doctor said I was catatonic, and thought that maybe I should be hospitalized—I'm not sure if he meant a regular one or a mental ward. Charlie called Renee up from Florida to take me to live with her—they thought a change of scenery might snap me out of it." I gave a single mirthless chuckle. "Oh, I snapped, alright. I threw a tantrum that would do any toddler proud: screamed, threw things, outright refused to move away. For some stupid reason," I glared right at Edward, "I thought you might come back, and I had to be here when you did."

Jared started stoking my arm, trying to calm me down. "I started going through the motions of living after that: ate, went to school. Quit my job at Newton's, though. Sleeping…not too much—I had screaming nightmares every single night; I couldn't stop reliving that night in the woods. After a few months, Charlie stopped coming into my room when I screamed—it wouldn't do any good. Spending time with Jake helped some."

"Bella, I'm sorry," Jasper looked agonized. I just knew what this was going to be about, and I wasn't going to have it.

"Not another word, Jasper Hale." If anyone should apologize for what happened a year ago, it should be me and not him.

"But—"

"No, I mean it." He must have sensed my resolution and smiled very faintly.

"Jasper Whitlock, actually. But you probably didn't know that either, right?"

I shook my head. "I knew that you and Rosalie were only playing twins, but I wasn't sure which of you—if either—really was a Hale."

"She is."

"Bella, what happened a year ago? What don't we know?" Jared asked me.

"I—" Jasper tried to answer for me.

"Did nothing," I insisted. Knowing I couldn't avoid this any longer, I tried to think of the best way to phrase it. "They threw me an 18th birthday party. I was opening one of my presents when I got a paper cut. It got everyone's attention, obviously. Edward thought something was going to happen, so he pushed me away and I collided with a table filled with glassware. Everyone else left while Carlisle stitched up the cut in my arm. Three days later, they were all gone."

"He forced us to leave, Bella. We didn't want to," Alice whispered.

"But you still did it anyway." Some sound or something too faint for my merely human ears had everyone suddenly on edge.

"What's that?"

"Guess the phone call got answered, huh?" I observed, finally figuring out what Jake's "E.T." comment earlier had been about.

"You caught that?" he shook his head.

"Of course." I saw that all the Cullens were looking at us. "What? You didn't think we brought the entire pack, did you?" Disregarding them, I headed for one of the large picture windows that looked out onto the front porch. Even though it was dark now, I could see the pack's approach thanks to the motion-sensing floodlights that suddenly flared on.

"Damn," Emmett muttered, from the other window.

I tried to see them from an outsider's perspective. They were in a rough v-shape, no doubt to be as intimidating as possible. I thought that Embry was at the point; Paul and Leah flanked him, with Quil and Seth past them. The youngest wolves finished out the lines on either side, but I didn't know their alternate forms well enough to tell them apart.

"So many," Esme breathed.

"Well, what would you expect?" I muttered, knowing full well that everyone would hear me just fine no matter what my volume. "Seven vampires living practically on their doorstep?"

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Paul POV

Leah zeroed in on _him_—we all did. I guess we didn't expect quite what she'd do, though. If anything, I'd've expected someone to lunge at him; that didn't happen. Instead, Leah tore into him in another way altogether.

We'd known, from just after she'd joined the pack, that Leah had some impressive creativity when it came to insults. But what she'd dished out to Sam and the rest of us was nothing compared to now. She used words that I didn't know she knew—that _I_ hadn't even known. Everyone just stared, almost like with a car accident, where you can't help but look. Every word seemed to just hammer into the leech, and we were glad of it. Even though none of us except for Jake (and Embry and Quil a little) had known Bella before Jared had imprinted on her, we'd all seen Jake's and Sam's memories of how bad off she'd been, so everything Leah was dealing out was well-deserved in our opinion.

"Thanks, Leah," we heard Bella say. "I think he got the message. Don't waste any more of your breath on him, okay? Not worth it. Besides, I think the pack's gotten enough profane inspiration for one night."

"Which they won't repeat if they know what's good for them," Sam decreed.

_Oops_, Leah thought, though we all knew she wasn't sorry about _what_ she'd said to the b-jerk, just the fact that some of the kids had heard it, too.

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Carlisle POV

I knew it would take us all some time to process everything we'd just learned, but I also knew that now wasn't the time. Sam's earlier comment about Victoria and Laurent needed to be addressed, as well as Jared's declaration of what he expected us to do.

"Sam, you said that Victoria and Laurent were coming around. When did that start?"

"End of last year was when we first noticed her. He showed up in February. She'd come around for a while, we'd chase her off; she'd wait a while and then come back again. We've noticed a few others from time to time—figured they were connected, but we didn't exactly sit down to chat with them. I think only one of them got away." Sam gave his report as efficiently as a doctor or soldier might.

"Two," Jacob corrected his leader. "One the day Brady and Collin phased, and that other the week before, the one who was in Bella's room."

"One was in her room?" Alice shrieked. Everyone either winced at her volume, or tensed at the implication.

"Graduation day," Jared agreed. "Everyone was down at the rez, so the house was empty. Some of her clothes went missing, though. We spent the next week down in Florida with her mom so the pack could go hunting."

"Caught one—talked to him before we killed him. He said, 'We won't stop. We'll keep coming. We won't fail her. You won't be able to stop her. She'll keep coming. She will have her revenge.' Like hell she will." As young as he was, Jacob was fierce and determined.

"Victoria?" It was the first word Edward had spoken since returning to the house after his brief talk with Jared. Everything I'd seen and heard tonight made it clear that Bella had chosen her new life and wasn't going to change her mind. I could not begin to imagine the pain my first son had to be in, to learn that his soul mate had chosen someone else, but any expressions of sympathy would have to wait. I could not argue with Jared about our responsibility.

"Bella recognized our description back in March and said that's who it was," Sam confirmed. "She also filled us in on why she was coming around—let us know what we were up against." We _think_ she's behind what's happening in Seattle—no proof, unfortunately."

"You already knew about Seattle?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah. Bella and I were there for a concert at the beginning of May—a bloodsucker killed someone nearby and followed us out of the city. Embry and I took care of him," Jared explained. "Paul was there back in early July and smelled a couple more. We didn't know how bad it was getting until Charlie mentioned something during a fishing trip we took the end of July. Shit."

"What?" more than one of us asked.

"In the paper, it said that one of the missing people was a local—guy who graduated from Forks a few years ago. Riley Biers. Charlie's been police chief forever, so the guy would have to have known about him, where he lived…"

"When did he go missing?" Jasper's voice was intent.

"More than a year ago. Why?"

"Might make sense. He'd've been past the newborn phase by then, able to control himself."

"Newborns?" Sam asked.

"A new vampire during their first year of this life," I explained.

"A vampire is at their strongest and fastest during that time. Their emotions are incredibly volatile and they're practically uncontrollable," Jasper added. "From what I read today, and the news story we saw yesterday, Seattle is at the mercy of a newborn army. Many of the missing are vampires now, and the dead were their prey."

"And what makes you the expert?"

"Because for nearly a century, dealing with newborns was all I did." Jasper ran his hands through his tangle of blond hair.

"So what does all this mean?" I asked of my newest son.

"If she is creating this army, she has to be planning to use them, maybe to come here and finally finish things. I just don't know how she'd have learned about the armies to begin with."

"I tracked her as far as Texas, but then I lost her," Edward spoke quietly.

"Damn. She could have learned everything down there."

"Jasper, do you have any advice?"

"They've got to be taken care of now."

"How?" Sam matched Jasper's ready stance.

"We'll do just what Jared said: we'll work together. They won't be expecting that, which will give us an advantage."

"You're going to fight an army of vampires? No, you can't!" Bella broke her silence.

"We haven't decided anything, Bella," Sam tried to calm her, "but we are going to listen to what they've got to say. I don't like them, or trust them, but they might be the edge we need to end this and keep you safe."

"Sam, I'm going to take Bella back to La Push. She needs some rest, and this isn't the way I want her birthday to end. That okay with you, love?" Jared turned his attention back to Bella.

"Take me home, Jared. Please. Get me away from here, from this."

"As my lady wishes. Besides, I've got one more surprise for you."

"I don't need more presents." It was good to know that something about Bella was still the same.

"Maybe it's for me as much as for you. Give it a chance?"

"I'll let you know." Her words seemed to have some extra meaning.

"I'll call you with an update in the morning," Sam promised. "Drew and Collin, head home before your parents get suspicious. Seth and Brady, run along the boundary line until we get back. One of you update Emily, okay?"

"Will we see you again, Bella?" Esme asked, as Jared and Bella stood and he draped the shawl over her shoulders again.

"I'll think about it," she replied.

When they were gone, Sam turned back to face us.


	54. Now What?

To everyone: I'm extremely sorry this took so long—I never intended or imagined that this would take two weeks. I had a crappy day at work right after posting the last chapter, went out of town for the weekend, had to work on a school project, and had my parents visit this past weekend. Plus, my muse just did not want to cooperate for this chapter. I hope what I've come up with meets your expectations.

Jasminn: Thanks. Did you mean Alice thinking Bella was dead, or Edward thinking she was? Alice jumped to conclusions a little because she couldn't see Bella; Rosalie just told Edward that Alice was going back, so he came back to chew Alice out. I like my version of Bella, too. I'm old enough, I guess. I don't think I've ever seriously thought about writing as a career. I'm great at coming up with backstories or AU's, not so good at creating my own completely original stuff.

Heather: I reply to all reviews. For those who don't submit signed reviews, putting a little mention in the author notes is the only way I can let them know I saw what they had to say. I'm sorry for making you wait, but I never want to post something I'm not happy with. One of my favorite Harry Potter stories only gets updated every 3 months, so I'm way ahead of that curve.

To all reviewers (signed or unsigned): Thank you so much for your comments. I enjoy seeing what you think. Everyone who submits a signed review gets a little tease for the next chapter.

Just have to say: Muse is amazing! So thrilled that I got to see them live. Wow! Only took about 10-15 minutes for my hearing to return to normal afterward, but well worth it. Did wish they would have played Jared and Bella's song, but everything they _did_ play was incredible.

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Edward POV

I sat surrounded by my family for the first time in nearly a year, and yet felt as if I was completely alone. The energy and purpose I had felt while racing from Rio de Janeiro back to Forks had utterly vanished, and I now felt the return of the pain and emptiness I had endured every single second of the past year. How could everything have gone so wrong? I had meant to keep Bella safe from the dangers of my kind, not to drive her into the arms of my destined enemies; and then to find that my kind had been threatening her all along, despite my attempts to track Victoria, my…

_Edward,_ Carlisle thought, _I know this is difficult for you, and I cannot begin to express my sorrow for what you're enduring, but we must focus on the matter at hand. Please, try to do what you can to help us now, and we will talk once we're alone._

I tried to do as my father asked, looking over at the wolves facing us. Their Alpha hadn't said anything since giving his instructions to the wolves who'd left along with Bella and her—husband. When he did speak, it was to Jasper. "What do you have in mind?"

"We need to lure them out of Seattle: the middle of a city is no place for a battle, not against an army of newborns."

"No argument here—not like we're that inconspicuous, after all," the one I remembered to be Jacob said. _And damn you for that,_ he thought.

"What have you done so far?" Jasper asked them.

It was hard for me to focus on what they were saying and thinking. Their words might be all about the strategies they'd used and the routes they'd taken, but their thoughts…

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Jasper POV

The wolves had actually been using some pretty good strategies to try and run down the vampires they'd been encountering. It made me more certain, as if I'd needed to be, that Victoria had to possess some kind of gift, to explain how she'd managed to evade them. The longer we talked, the less tense they seemed to get; making the decision to work with us must have been the difficult part, and now that it was made they weren't worrying about it. My family was moving toward acceptance of the idea, too; I suspected we were motivated by the same reason as the wolves: protecting Bella…Bella and her unborn child.

If I wasn't worried about the wolves now, Edward was a different story. The emotions he was emitting ranged from numb apathy to searing pain to immense grief to intense fury. I knew he'd chosen her as his mate—chosen her and then left her. But leaving hadn't changed how he felt about her, though it clearly had changed how Bella felt. I wondered why, though, especially with how strong her feelings for Edward had been before. From Rosalie, I knew females could hold grudges for a long time, but Bella wasn't—hadn't been—like that. "What happened to change her feelings?" I wondered quietly.

Instantly, Edward hissed and straightened up, and I wondered whose thoughts he'd caught. "Imprinting?"

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Edward POV

_Damn you_, the Alpha's thoughts snarled at me. _This isn't your _concern. It was obvious that he didn't want to share this, but I didn't care. _I__f it gets you to leave Bella and Jared alone, then have at it. _ "It's what happens when we meet the one who's perfect for us and who we are perfect for in return. It's instantaneous and irrevocable."

His thoughts began to track back to an earlier time in his life. He'd been dating a girl named Leah, who was now one of the wolves outside, before he'd become a wolf himself, and how everything had changed the first moment he'd seen Emily; Leah's anger and hurt, the echoes of what she'd put the pack through when she'd joined them. "When a wolf imprints, the object of that imprint becomes the focus of their existence—everything revolves around doing whatever makes them happy. Jared does that for Bella." I was bombarded by memories of Bella from the Black child: her silence, her empty eyes, _she was literally trying to hold herself together with those little arms before she met Jared._

Uley stared at me, Alpha authority emanating from every pore and every thought. "Just leave them alone. What binds them no one and nothing can sever—mess with them, and I won't hold him back next time."

"We'll help him," Jacob added, thoughts asserting that he spoke for every other member of their little pack.

"Sam, we've obviously all gotten a lot to think about tonight, and perhaps we need time to process it before talking further about logistics," Carlisle suggested.

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Sam POV

"Fine. When? And where?" _Get out of here, away from this stink and back to Emily._

"Would sometime tomorrow work? You're welcome to return here, or we can meet on more neutral ground if you'd rather."

I considered. I'd honestly prefer the latter, but if Bella wanted to come with us—and she likely would—then here was better. "I'll need to see what Jared and Bella think, first." He nodded, and handed over a business card with a phone number handwritten on the back.

"Please call and let us know what you decide." I nodded in my turn, and started for the door with Jacob beside me.

"Sam, tomorrow's Tuesday," Jacob reminded me before we'd taken more than a few steps. I spun back around.

"We need to discuss territory now. Obviously, with you gone we expanded our patrol range. Even though you're back temporarily, we're going to have to have the freedom to patrol outside the reservation."

"Why?"

"Bella and my Emily are taking a class at the local community college Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Someone's always around just to keep an eye on them."

"That shouldn't be a problem. We aren't planning to advertize our return here, so I think we can agree to let you handle the public aspects."

"Carlisle," Edward Cullen clearly didn't like his 'father's' decision.

"Our abrupt departure would have created sufficient comment in itself, even without Bella's response. I will not invite further notice of that kind needlessly, Edward." The doc didn't seem any more willing to put up with his son's antics than Bella had been. "Sam," he addressed me, "you and your pack may feel free to patrol up through Forks as you see fit. I think that any further adjustments regarding territory should wait until our next meeting if you concur."

"Fine." I didn't want to stay here any longer, and I had my fellow elders to update as well. Jacob and I headed for the door, where the pack quickly surrounded us. After jogging to the treeline, we both phased and were bombarded with the others' thoughts.

_Seth said they're back to the rez now,_ Leah reported. _What a jerk!_ This clearly referred to Edward Cullen.

_You think?_ Jake rejoined.

_You really want us to work with them?_ Embry asked me.

_I want to end this, and end it now. We can't let her slip by us again. If they can give us some ideas, or—_

_You really think they'll fight their own kind?_ _Yeah, right._ Paul's disbelief was obvious, and shared.

_I think they might, actually,_ Embry countered him. _I think the rest of them were really upset when they found out what he'd done to Bella. If they're feeling guilty about that, then maybe they will help._

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Jared POV

"Bella, are you okay?" I finally ventured the question when we were about halfway home.

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "I'm feeling so many things: I'm angry he came back and that he couldn't understand what I was saying, but I'm proud of myself for getting everything said that I wanted to."

"And your answers?"

"I'm not sure on that, either. I got some, I guess, but they still don't make sense."

"Would they all really have just left because he wanted them to?"

"Obviously, they did, didn't they?" my wife retorted.

"Touché, madam," I replied.

"I know that he was the first that Carlisle found; then Esme a few years later, Rosalie and Emmett a few years after that. Alice and Jasper didn't join them until after they'd left here the first time. So Edward's…I guess he's something like the firstborn child in a sense." She looked at me curiously, "Haven't you ever gotten away with something because you're the eldest?"

"I suppose so."

"I don't know too much about it, but I know that Esme lost a baby just before she died—it was why she jumped off the cliff. I suppose Edward might have replaced that child for her."

"So she agreed to leave because he needed her to," I figured out.

"Maybe."

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Bella POV

"Enough about them," I decided—they'd taken up too much of my birthday as it was, no more. "What did you get me?"

"I thought you didn't want another present?"

"You've gotten me curious."

"You'll just have to wait, love."

"You know, you've been calling me that an awful lot today. Any reason why?" I lifted my eyebrow. He knew as well as I did that 'love' had been something Edward had called me frequently.

"First, its true: I love you more than anything. Second, you didn't seem to mind that endearment—but if you have something you like better, I can change. And third, yeah, okay, I guess I was rubbing it in his face a little. Did you mind?"

"No," I decided. "But we'll have to see about something that's just ours."

"You'll let me know, right?"

"Of course." His quoting of my words got me to thinking…that and where the car was right now. He almost seemed to read my mind.

"Uh-uh, Bella. One public…display is enough for today, birthday or no birthday. Besides, the guys aren't that far away and one of them's my little brother. Just hold that thought until you see what I got you, okay?"

"Spoilsport." I could see his point, however.

"Besides, we're going to have to pick them up so that Drew and Collin can get dropped off at their homes."

"Forgot that."

Mission accomplished, we were soon back at home. "So, what is it?"

"Would you like a warm bath before bed?" I frowned at his non sequitur.

"A bath?"

"Might help us relax."

"It _is_ a big tub," I allowed. "Okay." I was willing to play along for a little while to see what he was going to do. Jared headed into the bathroom to start running the water while I took care of putting away my shoes and accessories. I was just debating my next move when Jared emerged from the bathroom with his bathrobe.

"Figured you might want this," he held it out to me. I was reaching to take it when I realized that the breast pocket was monogrammed with a "B".

"What?"

"You didn't remember me offering you one of your own?"

"Maybe I like yours better," I purred.

"That's why they're the same size. You can borrow mine, and I'll return the favor."

Needless to say, it was a good thing Jared had run the bathwater extra hot—by the time we got into the bathroom, it ended up being just the right temperature for the baby and me.

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Jared POV

The ringing of my phone caused me to uncurl from where I'd slept around wrapped around Bella. I managed to grab it before it could ring a third time.

"Yeah?" I mumbled, cracking my eyes open just enough to search out the alarm clock. Damn, only 6 am.

"Jared, Sam. Cullens want to meet up again today, finish going over things."

"How'd the rest of last night go?"

I listened as Sam went over things, finishing up with, "their leader offered their place again, but said they'd be okay with neutral ground if that's what we want. I said we'd run it by you two before committing."

"Better have it be there, then." I knew, just as Sam had last night, that Bella was going to insist on being there. "When—and how am I going to get out of work?"

"This morning, and I'll call your parents. Should be able to convince them I need you to help with something. Oh, hang there with Bella until I get back to you—Paul'll cover your patrol."

By the time I ended the call, Bella had woken up. "Did I dream the phone ringing?"

"No, it was Sam. They're going to meet up with the Cullens again this morning and wanted us to know." She got as far as opening her mouth. "Yes, I know: we're both going, too."

"When?"

"Sam'll call back when he's gotten things arranged."

"What is there to do?"

"Nail down patrol territories, logistics of working together…"

"But why them?"

"Bella, I think at this point I'd make a deal with the devil himself if that's what it takes to end this. If I have to use their guilty consciences, then I will. I know facing them, especially him, isn't your idea of fun; it's not mine, either. But you were so strong and amazing last night. And I know you'll put any or all of them in their respective places if they try anything

"If he knows what's good for him, he won't say anything at all. Otherwise, I may just take my chances explaining a broken hand."

"We'll try to avoid that."

"I—"

"Bella?"

She scrambled to grab my hand and lay it across her stomach.

"Was ho!" I breathed, obviously feeling what she had: a light, fluttery movement in her abdomen. "Wow!"

'Wow' didn't begin to do it justice, but I couldn't think of anything that did. I couldn't begin to guess how long we lay there, tracing our hands around trying to feel her moving again.

"Hey, there baby," I whispered, propping myself up on one elbow and using my other hand to slide her shirt up to expose her stomach. I leaned over and began pressing kisses to Bella's skin. "Is this the right time to feel her like this?"

"I think so. The book says anywhere from 16 to 22 weeks is normal."

"Too early to start thinking about names?" I started kissing my way up her stomach.

"Maybe just a little bit. I have other ideas right now."

"We've got to go soon," my voice was rough. Her fingers tracing along the tops of my shoulders said volumes.

"They can wait."

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Bella POV

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" Jared asked, as we lay spooned up again in bed.

I twisted my head to look back at him. "Yeah, I do."

"Of course you do. Now, are you ready to start getting around? We do have obligations today, remember."

"I'm happy here with the two of you." He kissed my temple and resumed circular strokes over my belly. Our reverie was broken by a knocking on the apartment door.

"Jared? Bella? Ready yet?" Sam's voice was audible even from outside. Jared was on the move immediately, grabbing the first clothing he could find, which happened to be my new robe. I scooted to the edge of the bed and headed for the bathroom as

Jared left the bedroom to let Sam in.

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Jared POV

"Sorry, Sam," I apologized once I'd opened the door to let him in. "Thought you were going to call me back."

"Nice robe," his mouth twitched, trying to control a smirk.

"Bella likes it," I informed him, in a superior tone. No way was he going to diss my gift to my wife.

"Figured you'd be ready by now, so I headed up here after talking to your folks. They'll be okay without you until this afternoon. Jake and Quil will be with us, Paul and Embry will be patrolling here along with Leah. Seth and the younger kids will be in school unless there's a call-out."

"Sorry, Sam," Bella apologized as she joined us in the living room. "We would have been around earlier, but—we felt her move this morning."

His eyes warmed as he moved to give my wife a hug. "Congratulations. You must be thrilled."

"Thrilled…scared," I admitted.

She moved away from Sam and back toward me. "Scared? Why?"

I took her in my arms. "Because she's really real now. I feel her move inside you and all I can think about is how much I've gained, and how much I might lose."

"You won't lose anything, Jared," Sam promised me. "Everyone is going to get through this just fine. But to do that, we need to get moving. Jared, throw something else on; Bella and I will be waiting outside."

Two minutes later, with shorts and shoes on, and Bella's snack bag in hand, we were on our way back to the Cullens' house. Just like yesterday, they were waiting for us on the porch. Jake and Quil were there again, too; human and wolf, just as before.

"Welcome," Carlisle Cullen greeted us all.

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Carlisle POV

When the last echoes of their footfalls and heartbeats had vanished into the night, my family remained in place, silent and motionless. The past day had been full of so many events and emotions—I knew I'd spoken only the truth about needing time to process everything.

"Bella is married and pregnant," Alice said, trying to take it in.

"She looked beautiful," Rosalie observed, without the resentment that had always characterized her previous comments regarding Bella.

"She's happy with him—happier than I've ever felt her to be," Jasper informed us all. "This imprinting—the emotions are so powerful and indescribable. He will literally do anything for her, and she for him."

"Stop!" Edward growled.

My Esme sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around our son. He didn't seem to notice or react.

"How could this happen?" he whispered.

"You thought you knew best, you made a horrible decision, and now you have to live with it," Rosalie replied, with only a small taste of malice in her tone.

"Rose," Emmett tried to head her off.

"It's true. He didn't give Bella the chance to be part of the decisions before, and now he has the nerve to come back and start berating her for the decisions she _has_ made for herself."

"She's not going to change her mind, Edward," Jasper informed him. "She was radiating certainty about her decisions."

"Edward, I can't see her. The visions of her being one of us are gone, like they never were to begin with," Alice sat down on his other side. "I'm sorry, but her future must be going down a different path."

_Edward, sometimes loving someone means letting them go. If you truly love Bella the way that I know you do, perhaps the only way you can show that now is by giving her the freedom to live with the decisions she has made. She's remaining human, and having all of the experiences that you wanted her to have—that __**we**__ can't have. What's done is done, and I really can't see anything else to do except accept it. _

"What do I do now?"

"You might not have protected her the way you meant to before, but you can protect her now," Esme reminded him. "You—we—have the opportunity to protect Bella as well as her unborn child. A precious gift that deserves to enter the world in a few months and never live in fear."

I watched him nod slightly, before standing and moving toward the stairs. "I'd like to be alone for a little while now, please."

"Will he be alright, Carlisle?" Esme asked me once he was gone.

"I wish I knew, beloved."

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Esme POV

"How are you feeling, Bella?" I asked, after we were all settled on the sofas again. "Do you need anything? I can cook something up for you if you're hungry. Alice and Jasper went shopping in Vancouver overnight, so we're stocked up with basics." I was dealing with a surprising case of nerves just now. Part of it was trying to start making amends to Bella; the rest, I suspected, was resurgent memories from my human life, from the time when I was where Bella was now: anticipating the birth of a child. _Bella __**will**__ get her happy ending._

She cast a sidelong glance and a small smile at her husband before answering, "I'm doing well. I have my little snack bag, so I think I'm set right now. Thank you, though."

"So, what was the last present?" Emmett cut in.

Bella considered for a moment. "A bathrobe to match his."

"And that's a good birthday present?" I could see his confusion: Rosalie would never forgive him if he gave her something as mundane as a bathrobe.

"It is when he's tired of having me borrow his all the time."

"Emmett," I warned, knowing all-to-well that he was about to start teasing Bella mercilessly.

"So what, exactly, is the plan?" Bella asked the room at large.

"We're going to be working together," the Alpha, Sam Uley, told her. "This vampire army Jasper told us about is expecting us—they won't be expecting to face others of their own kind. He'll be teaching us all some strategies to use."

Bella's eyes closed and her arms wrapped around her stomach. "Bells, it'll be okay," her friend Jacob tried to reassure her.

Her eyes opened and glared at him. "Practically everyone I care about is going to be out there fighting an army, and I'm supposed to be okay about it?"

"Not everyone, Bella," Sam contradicted. "Drew and Jared will be staying back at the rez, protecting you and everyone else there."

"What?" clearly Bella's Jared hadn't been expecting that.

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Sam POV

"Jared, do you really think I'm about to let you leave your wife and child behind to go fight vampires? Drew has to stay behind, but he can't patrol La Push solo, and you're the most logical person to stay with him."

It was obvious that he wasn't too happy about my order, but I knew he could see the logic behind it—Bella's relief was also obvious. Jared badly wanted to be part of ending this—as any of us would, in his position—but I didn't think he was going to argue about it. I'd make it an Alpha order if I had to, but I strongly suspected that the imprint alone would do it. If staying out would make Bella feel better, then sit out he would.

"Makes sense, I guess." Good to know I was right.

"Thank you, Sam," Bella said softly.

"No problem. But if you like, you can thank me by naming the baby after me," I teased. Her face twisted up.

"I don't really think so. Besides, Emily might have her own ideas about that at some point."

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Jared POV

"It might also depend on if you're having a boy or a girl, Bella," Alice reminded her. "Sam might be okay for a boy, but it wouldn't be a very good girl name."

"Do you know what you're having?" Rosalie asked.

Bella looked at me, silently asking my opinion. "It's up to you, sweetheart," was my reply.

"We're having a girl," my wife announced.

"I'm so happy for you," the blonde vampire said, and she really did look sincere about it, which surprised me.

"Hey, blondie?"

"What, Dagwood?" It only took me a second to catch the comic strip reference.

"Ha ha. Just wondering what that was all about yesterday, and today, too."

"Meaning?"

"Why'd you slap him? Far as we could tell, you always hated Bella, but as soon as you hear what he did to her, you haul off and slap him. Now you're congratulating us. What gives?"

"I didn't hate her," she contradicted. "Granted, I didn't particularly like her, but it wasn't hate. I envy her."

"What for?" I asked, as Bella stirred beside me.

"Because I'm still human, and you're not?" she asked.

"That's part of it," the vampire admitted. "Not all of it, though. You have _everything_ and you'd have lost so much of it if you'd joined us."

Bella shifted more, and I helped her into a more upright position. "You're beautiful and immortal, how can you envy my simple life?"

"You're having a child, Bella. I'd give anything to have that. The one thing I want most is what I can never have."

"What happened?" Bella asked her. I was interested to hear the answer myself. It was coming to appear that being a vampire had never been in Rosalie's plans.

"It was 1933. I was eighteen and engaged. I was beautiful even then, and my parents expected me to marry well. I'd met Royce King, whose father owned the bank where my father worked, and we were engaged before I'd known him two months. I was in love with the idea of being a wife, of having my own beautiful home, of being adored and admired. I looked forward to a houseful of children—everything my dear friend Vera had—only more. A few days before my wedding, I walked home from Vera's house late one evening. I met Royce and some of his friends on my way; it would have been rude of me not to stop when he called me over, but they were all drunk and when I tried to leave them…when they were done with me, they left me to bleed to death in the street—I wished I had. Carlisle found me on his way home from work when he smelled my blood. He changed me to save my life. I hated him at first, not as much as I hated them, but still… Things got better after I met Emmett a couple years later. Even so, who we were then is who we are now—we don't change."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Bella. But do you see why I was so angry you wanted to become like us? I knew what I'd wanted and lost. Even if you didn't want those things then, you might have changed your mind later—when it was too late. An eternity is a long time to live with regrets."

"You're right," Bella admitted with a sigh. "I never thought about kids, really—I felt like I'd raised myself and maybe my mom, too. At seventeen, no, that wasn't important to me. But now," Bella rubbed her hand over her stomach, "even with the morning sickness, the swollen ankles, and my clothes not fitting anymore, I wouldn't trade this for anything."

"What did you do?" I asked, knowing there had to be more to the story than what she'd shared.

"Pardon?" One of her sculpted eyebrows lifted.

"To them, to the," I couldn't think of a polite term that was descriptive enough, "monsters who killed you."

"What makes you think I did something?"

"Lady, I may have only just met you yesterday, but I think I've figured out enough about you to know that you wouldn't have just let them get away with what they did."

Her lips parted in a fierce smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I killed them, of course. One at a time. I saved Royce for last, naturally, so he'd know it was coming. I was a little theatrical back then—I stole a wedding dress to wear that night."

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Bella POV

The pack members' faces bore a mix of revulsion and approval; their distaste for a vampire's murders warring with their male instincts to protect females.

"Guess that makes sense," Jake decided on everyone's behalf. "We probably wouldn't have done any different—minus the bloodsucking, of course."

"I didn't drink their blood!" Rosalie's face contorted in disgust. "There are many ways of killing without spilling blood. I wanted them dead, but I wasn't going to have their blood in me."

I suspected that the pack really would have given her a pass anyway, just because of what had been done to her; they all had girlfriends or sisters or moms. Hearing Rosalie's story had, I realized, let me understand her better. It also reminded me of something I'd heard the night before and had been wondering about ever since the whole alliance thing had come up.

"Jasper, what did you mean about spending almost a century dealing with newborns?"

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Jasper POV

Bella's question wasn't unexpected. I could feel Edward staring at me, demanding yet again that I maintain both distance and silence where Bella was concerned. But after everything I'd felt and learned over the past 24 hours, I was past listening to him. I began to pace as I started my story.

"I was born as a human in 1843, in Texas. When the Civil War came, I lied about my age to enlist. Even as a human, I was charismatic and persuasive. Didn't take long for me to get promoted, even without any battle experience. Within a year, I was a major—the youngest in the Texas cavalry, maybe even the whole Confederate cavalry."

"Late in 1862, we evacuated Galveston in before a Yankee attack. I was looking for stragglers and saw three women by the side of the road: Maria, Lucy, and Nettie. Before I knew what was happening, Maria bit me. Maria was looking to regain territory she'd lost in Mexico, and a soldier like me was just the sort of help she needed. Before long, I was in charge of all her forces, training the newborns we'd turned…and disposing of them once their strength began to wane at the end of that year. That was my existence for decades. I never knew anything else was possible. But all those deaths, all that pain and grief and fear started to weigh down on me. Something was going to snap—either me or Maria. Before it happened, though, a friend I'd made, one who'd escaped a few years earlier with his mate, came back for me. We wandered together as nomads for a while before I went on my own. One day, I was in Philadelphia and walked into a diner to get out of the rain. Alice was there—she'd seen me coming, of course."

"And you kept me waiting a long time, you know," my wife reminded me.

"Sorry, ma'am," I apologized. Returning to my story, "She told me about the Cullens and we went to find them. That was about 50 years ago, now. Fifty years, but I haven't forgotten what it was like, what I did every day. I'll be able to help them, Bella, I promise."

"How?"

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Again, my deepest apologies for the extremely long wait for this chapter. I really hope this has turned out okay, 'cause part of me isn't sure.


	55. Planning

AN: I will apologize now for how long this took. I had a big assignment to get done, another to be working on, a class weekend, and a major case of writer's block. I was so focused on getting to the return/reunion that I almost think I didn't stop to ask "what next?" I've really had to spend some time trying to iron out some things that I want to have happen to lead the story where I want to go (I'm still not there yet, but I at least got enough figured out to get this chapter to you). I hope you'll be patient with me and stay with the story; we will get to the end of this, I promise.

Jasminn: Thanks. I think I was probably a little nervous just because of how long it took and how difficult it was to get that chapter out; everyone who's reviewed has said nothing but good things about it. Thanks for the POV idea. I have a little something I was planning for this chapter that could easily be done in Rose's perspective.

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"_I'll be able to help them, Bella, I promise."_

"_How?"_

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Bella POV

I looked at Jasper, waiting for an answer.

His response was to push up the sleeves of his knit sweater. The skin of his arms was covered in a criss-cross of crescent-shaped bite marks.

"Jasper, what happened to you?" My left hand reflexively moved to cover a similar scar on my own arm.

"Like I said earlier, dealing with newborns was what I did for nearly a century. That kind of existence…the lifespan even for our kind is usually only a matter of weeks. Newborns are volatile, emotional, very difficult to control. Their every instinct is to fight, usually over prey."

"Every one of those scars is from a fight you were in?" I couldn't imagine that kind of life, and I was reminded yet again how little I'd really known about the existence I'd once wanted more than anything.

"From a fight I won," he corrected. "I'm sure your wolves are good, but a dozen newborns…two dozen…there are things I can teach them—teach everyone—to help keep them safe while we deal with this."

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Jared POV

"Then let's get planning," I suggested. This was exactly what we were here for, after all. It was no less than what they owed to Bella, in my opinion, but I was still grateful. Had to admit I was feeling more respect for this Cullen, after hearing what he'd survived before joining them. We'd all thought poorly of Jasper Cullen before this; Bella's information about his struggles with the 'vegetarian' lifestyle hadn't endeared him to us. But seeing all those scars, and knowing he'd won all those fights, I at least was willing to cut him a little slack.

"Patrols," Sam began.

"Sam, could you show us on a map the range you've been covering?" Carlisle Cullen requested.

"Wait," Edward Cullen interrupted before Sam could say or do anything.

I gave him a long look, letting my thoughts remind him of my words from yesterday: _you so much as twitch in her direction again and I swear I'll tear you apart. The treaty can be damned for all I'll care_.

He gave a fractional nod in acknowledgment, then spoke. "I need to first apologize to Bella and to Jared for my behavior and words of yesterday. It is never comfortable to be reminded of one's shortcomings, and I fear I did not react in an appropriate manner."

"What do you want us to say?" Bella was clearly a bit suspicious, as I was.

"You don't have to say anything," he replied. "I don't even ask you to forgive me—I know I don't deserve it. I never deserved you either, and the manner of my leaving last year, even though I believed it was for the good, I now see was anything but to you."

"To begin with, no," Bella agreed. "And if I could have avoided those six months of hell, I would definitely have preferred it. But, if you hadn't left, I might never have met Jared. I wouldn't wish that away for anything. I have so much now, more than I could have imagined, including this baby to come." She leaned against me, and I dipped my head to kiss the top of hers.

"You were right—these are just the things I said I wanted you to have. I don't want to stand in the way of that; I won't stand in the way of that."

"So, just like that, everything's changed, and you can accept how things are now?" I knew full well, as he would, how much I didn't believe that right now.

"All I have wanted is for Bella to be safe and happy. If she has found those things with you, then I can do no less than help you in any way possible." Cullen's eyes, a more tawny color than they'd been last night, lifted to catch mine.

"Last night, you said so many hurtful things, Edward, and now all that means nothing? How can I trust what you say now? What changed between then and now?" Bella asked him.

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Edward POV

"I had a lot of time last night to do some thinking," I began, remembering.

(flashback)

Walking out of the living room, I ascended the two flights of stairs leading to the bedroom I'd once used. My personal belongings were long gone, of course; packed for me by Esme before the move. The furniture remained, though—furniture and memories. Bella's interest in my music collection…her surprise that I didn't sleep…her trust in me. It burned worse than anything—knowing I'd lost that.

"_I don't believe you. You said that you were tired of pretending, that I was no good for you. Well, I found someone who I am good for—someone who's infinitely better for me than you could ever have dreamed of being. But even if, for the sake of argument, I believed you, then what? Am I supposed to do like my mom and walk out on my husband? Go her one better and abandon my child, too? This is my life now."_

"_You __chose__ to put her through that hell. You may be over a century old, and a mind-reader, but you have no clue at all what love really is. What you did to her was as far away from love as you can possibly get. You chose, and you were wrong. Maybe you're actually sorry, but that's not always enough. Sometimes, there are no second chances. You lost her, now deal with it." _ I wasn't sure how—or even if—I could do that. Victoria's actions suggested that our kind did not cope well with the loss of a mate. But Bella _was_ still alive, with everything that I'd said I wanted her to have. Did I have the cruelty to take that away from her? Did I have the strength to take myself away, forever this time?

"_Bella is married and pregnant."_

"_She looked beautiful."_

"_She's happy with him—happier than I've ever felt her to be. This imprinting—the emotions are so powerful and indescribable. He will literally do anything for her, and she for him."_

_Edward, sometimes loving someone means letting them go. If you truly love Bella the way that I know you do, perhaps the only way you can show that now is by giving her the freedom to live with the decisions she has made. She's remaining human, and having all of the experiences that you wanted her to have—that __we__ can't have. What's done is done, and I really can't see anything else to do except accept it. _

"_What do I do now?"_

"_You might not have protected her the way you meant to before, but you can protect her now. You—we—have the opportunity to protect Bella as well as her unborn child. A precious gift that deserves to enter the world in a few months and never live in fear."_

As the night hours had passed, I had heard again and again the words spoken by Bella, by Jared, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme, too. None of it things I had wanted to hear, but neither were they things I could dispute. Perhaps a large part of my problem had been making a wish without fully considering how I would respond if it were granted.

"Edward, you need to hunt," Carlisle's voice roused me from my immobility.

"Why?"

"It's clearly been too long since you've done so. We were very lucky that you were able to stay in control of your thirst earlier."

"They smell disgusting." I caught his unspoken thought, _Bella,_ and replied to it. "She smells like them now, over her own scent. It made things…bearable."

_That may not be good enough. And if you are willing to help them, as we are, then you'll need to be as strong as possible._

I gave an unnecessary sigh. "I know. Alright, I'll hunt."

(end flashback)

"I was being selfish and hurtful with what I said yesterday, Bella," I answered her. "I'm not sure why I thought it would do anything—or why I didn't anticipate how you would react to last night or what I said and did last year." I valiantly tried to offer a ghost of my usual smile. "I guess I really didn't know you as well as I thought, did I?"

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Bella POV

"Honestly, no." I replied, no longer wanting to be brutal but still wanting to make sure he understood. "The Bella you knew was one you created. That wasn't who I was back in Phoenix, and it isn't anything like who I am now."

"I see that now, truly. If I may be so bold, who you are is someone very remarkable—to have overcome everything I threw at you. I can promise that I will never behave in that sort of manner again and that I will try to prove my sincerity."

I was caught in the middle of two warring emotions. Part of me wanted to continue punishing Edward for what he'd done to me, what he'd put me through. But the innately compassionate part of my nature was starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, he'd suffered as much as I had. Behind his words and within his eyes had been pain. I sighed. "Alright. I'm not saying it's forgotten, because I don't think it can be. But I'm willing to move past it, if you can keep your word to accept the way things are now. Besides, we've got more important things to focus on right now than what can't be changed."

"Agreed," Jared affirmed. I'd known he'd support me if this was what I wanted.

"I will. I promise."

"Patrols," Sam repeated, getting things back on track. "We focus close to home, of course, but range throughout the peninsula regularly." His finger traced across the map in illustration.

"Jasper, what's your recommendation?" Carlisle inquired.

"Depends on when and where we want to end this. I can't see that Victoria can get away with waiting much longer—this newborn army has already attracted too much attention among the humans, and the Volturi will find out soon, if they haven't already."

"Volturi?" Sam asked.

"Vampire royalty and law enforcement," I gave the super Cliffs Notes version.

"Alice, can you keep an eye out for them?" Carlisle asked her. "We don't want them coming here."

"Yes."

Jasper continued, "Right now, Victoria has to be the priority. I don't know if Alice and I's trip through Seattle yesterday will help here or not."

"What were you doing there?" Jake asked.

"We saw a news story on Sunday. Alice and I came to investigate, then met the rest of the family here just before you came over last night. We didn't try to conceal our scent in the city, so one of them will probably—may already have, in fact—come across it. We came straight here, and if they're smart, they can track that, too. If Victoria remembers our scents…"

"You think it'll either spur her to attack or make her run off for good." Jared didn't make it a question.

Jasper nodded. "From what you've said, she has to know that something's here protecting Bella, but it's anyone's guess what exactly she knows about your pack. If she thinks _we've_ come back…who knows what might happen.""

"So do we patrol or not?" Emmett was fidgeting noticeably.

"I don't know. We could just as easily be a deterrent to any more attempts as we could be a lure to bring her back here in spite of the wolves."

"I'd vote for lure," Jake cut in. I frowned. Just because I didn't consider them family anymore didn't mean I wanted any of the Cullens to get hurt—I didn't want _anyone_ to get hurt.

"We can discuss the patrolling aspect further before making any decisions. We're entirely willing to allow the pack to take the lead on that if such is the consensus." This was from Carlisle, as might be expected.

"What about hunting?" I asked, remembering something else they'd have to consider. "You can't starve yourselves."

"If we can travel to the coast, we can swim to Canada—minimize the traces of our presence here."

"Swim to Canada?" I repeated. "Oh, right. The whole not-breathing, not-tired thing. You probably wouldn't even have to swim if you didn't want to—you could just walk along the bottom like those skeletons did in _Pirates of the Caribbean_."

Emmett burst out laughing. "Good one, Bella."

Before I had the chance to say anything back to him, my bladder chose that moment to make its presence known again. "Help me up?" I asked Jared.

"You okay?" he asked back, while getting me to my feet.

"Bathroom break." I still remembered where the bathroom was, fortunately. When I returned to the living room, Jared lifted my snack bag.

"Want something?"

"Sure," I was actually getting hungry.

"You've got fruit, carrots, pretzels, and a chocolate bar."

"I'd love the pretzels and chocolate, so give me some fruit." I figured I needed to be a good pregnant lady and eat some healthy stuff first.

"Banana?"

"Uh—nope." Good as it sounded, I just _knew_ Emmett would have a field day with it.

"Oranges—no, not those either," Jared nixed that option himself.

"They're a great source of vitamin C." Ever the doctor, Carlisle offered his nutritional analysis.

I very deliberately didn't look at anyone in the pack: we all knew exactly what could happen when oranges, Jared, and I were in close proximity. "I know, but I'll save it for later, just the same."

Jake gave some kind of snort. "Thanks, Bells."

"Sounds like a good story." Naturally, Emmett picked up on what I'd just as soon not get into

"Probably, but it's a story they won't tell, if they know what's good for them."

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Jared POV

I used Jake's old trick, and started mentally counting in Quileute, trying not to think of our previous encounters with this particular citrus. The sound of a car on the driveway got everyone's attention.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"Two people-and a wolf."

Sam was outside by the time Emily's car appeared. She and Leah got out, and Embry's wolf form emerged from the trees.

"What are you doing here?" Sam rumbled, once he'd greeted Emily in their traditional fashion. I was watching the Cullens and knew that they had to see her scars. _This is why we hate you_, I thought to Edward. _That wouldn't have happened, if not for your family._

"Bella and I have a quiz in class this afternoon. I thought we should get there early so we can review a little bit first." Emily molded herself against Sam's side as she answered his question.

"And you couldn't just call Bella's cell phone and remind her?" Sam clearly wasn't happy that his imprint-fiancée had just waltzed up to a vampire's house like this. His frown at Leah and Embry said he wasn't too pleased with them, either.

"Crap, I forgot about that quiz," Bella muttered.

"You could always gyp, like we are," Jake suggested, meaning himself and Embry at least, and probably Paul and Quil, too, circling La Push most likely.

"I'm paying for this class, remember? Plus, Emily and I won't do very well with our business if we don't learn this stuff, now will we?" From her expression, she was highly tempted to skip anyway, despite her spoken protest.

"Business?"

"We're planning to start a catering business in a few months. Maybe a restaurant sometime down the road." Emily answered the question courteously.

Bella laughed. "At least we'll never have a shortage of test subjects, not when we're surrounded by stomachs walking on two or four legs."

Jake mock-frowned at her. "I object to being considered a guinea pig."

"Jake, you guys literally eat anything, remember? And lots of it." She had a good point. I didn't think that any of us had ever _not_ liked anything that either of them had ever cooked.

"I draw the line at pickles and chocolate sauce," he retorted.

Bella, Emily, Leah, and I all burst out laughing, Embry wolf-coughed, and even Sam's face twitched.

"Clearly, there's a story behind that," Esme smiled.

"Yeah," she admitted. "We had a cookout right before school started up in August, and I decided to have a little fun with the guys. My nausea had finally eased up, and I was getting a few cravings. I had them get me some whole pickles and some chocolate sauce, and made a big deal about eating the combo. They were completely grossed out-so was I, to be honest about it."

"You've been very nice to them with that kind of stuff, Bella," Emily reminded her. "They don't have any reason to complain. Sam," she directed her attention to her fiancé, "Are you going to introduce us?"

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Jake POV

Sam gave Emily as much of a glare as any of us could muster toward our imprints. But he was just as incapable of denying her as any of us would be.

"This is my fiancée, Emily. Her cousin Leah, and Leah's boyfriend Daniel. My brother Embry. Em, these are the Cullens: Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, and Edward."

There were some 'nice to meet you's' before Emily turned to Bella. "Class or no class?"

"We should go. Jared's got to go to work anyway."

"Sam, what do you think?" Jared asked him.

"Leah and Embry will be around to keep an eye out, so it should be safe enough," Sam judged. "And we'll have to wait until tonight for much in the way of practicing."

"What's wrong with now?" the big guy asked.

"It's a little hard to have the pack practice when half of them are in school right now," Bella retorted with an eye-roll.

"School?" this from the psychic.

"Collin and Brady are only 13, Drew and Seth are 14, and the rest are around 17. They have to be there legally, and to keep their parents from finding out what's really going on around here." It seemed to me like the Cullens were a bit surprised that we were all so young.

"When do you want to meet, then?" the soldier, Jasper, asked.

"Tonight—about 11," Sam decided. "Let's have this one closer to our land." He moved back to the map. "There's a clearing here, just on your side of the treaty line."

"We'll be there," Jasper agreed, on behalf of his family.

Sam nodded. "So will we." Turning to Emily, "You and Bella have fun with your quiz. Lee, you stay close, okay? Embry, listen up for any trouble. Jared, give me and Jake a ride back?"

I was shaking my head. "I'll just run back, if that's okay, Sam. I want to take a look around, and then I'll run with Quil and Paul."

"Okay."

I stayed where I was, watching while Sam and Jared walked Emily and Bella over to Em's car. A few kisses later and both cars and Embry were gone.

"What did he mean?" My eyes narrowed, not understanding what Edward meant.

"He who? And what?"

"Jared. He thought that what happened to Emily was our fault."

"Yeah, that's how we feel." I exhaled, and shoved off the porch support I'd been leaning against. "Before you moved back, before he phased, Sam was dating Leah. High school sweethearts who everyone expected would get married. When Sam phased the first time, he was gone for two weeks. Leah was worried and upset, and mad that he wouldn't tell her what had happened, but they were trying to work things out just the same. Couple weeks later, Leah's cousin Emily came to visit. Sam took one look at her and imprinted. Everything he'd ever felt for Leah was just gone in an instant. Leah was so pissed at him—stayed that way for a couple years—and Emily was upset, too. She felt responsible for her cousin getting her heart broken. She and Sam argued about it and he lost his temper for a second. He phased too close to her and she got cut up."

"Not a bear attack," the doc obviously made the connection with the cover story that had been used.

"And ultimately our fault," the doc's wife looked pretty upset.

"That's how we see it," I wasn't going to lie about it. "And if it weren't for Bella and her baby being at risk now, believe me, we wouldn't be here now." Before I left I had one more thing to say. "You better live up to what you promised earlier, about accepting things. You hurt her again…"

"I won't," Edward Cullen promised again.

Beside him, his sister Alice gasped.

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Jasminn: Sorry, the Rosalie part got bumped to the next chapter.

AN: I really hope that this came out ok. This was really hard to get flowing, so I'd appreciate knowing what you think.


	56. Practice

AN: Thank you so much to everyone (both new and old) who reads this story, to the 900 people who have added me/this story to their favorites or alerts, to the 250 who have taken the time to review "The Wolf and His Girl" at least once over the past 9 months, and especially to the 17 super-reviewers, who've commented on at least half of the chapters. You make it all worthwhile. I am very sorry that I've recently been unable to maintain my weekly/twice weekly updating schedule lately. I can't promise things will change much over the final few weeks of the semester, but I will hopefully make up for it over the month-long break I'll have before classes start up again. Now, back to the story. Oh, "Wolf" is only 28 reviews away from hitting the 1,500 mark, so maybe this chapter, please?

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Emily POV

I got the car moving once we were all buckled up properly, including Bella, with her lap belt carefully under her stomach. A glance in my rearview mirror revealed Jared's car behind us. Bella and I exchanged a glance. "Protective much?" she quipped, with a roll of her eyes back in the direction of our imprinted mates.

"Can you blame them?" Leah asked from the backseat. "They just had their imprints getting all cozy with some vampires."

"How are you doing with them back, Bella?" I asked her.

"I don't know. Angry…relieved…annoyed…grateful." She sighed. "I'm mad they came back into my life again, but it has given me answers—although I'm not sure I believe them. I wish the pack didn't have to deal with them, but maybe it'll help."

"Did he act any better today than he did yesterday?" Leah queried.

"He apologized, but I don't know if I believe him. He was so angry last night that I'm not in love with him anymore; how can I believe that he accepts it now and wants to help us?"

Leah and I exchanged a glance in the mirror. Neither of us had an answer for her. I realized we'd been very lucky that only Leah and Sam, and Bella, had come into the imprinting with tangled romantic pasts; we were all grateful for the power of the bonds that it gave us, but imprinting certainly did have the potential to be a problem. Leah, I knew, had been unable to accept the reasons for Sam's actions until she herself had imprinted, many weeks after she'd first shared the pack mind with him and _seen_ the reasons why. Without similar means at her disposal, Bella might never _know_ if this Cullen was telling the truth, but did she need to?

"I guess it doesn't matter if I believe him or not. If he really does help us, then I can trust that much; the rest doesn't matter, thanks to Jared." It was almost as if Bella had known what I was thinking and responded to it. "So, about this quiz…"

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Jacob POV

"Alice?" She was frozen where she'd been standing, eyes wide and darkening more with every second. In a flash, her mate was right beside her, hands braced under her elbows. Edward Cullen stared at his 'sister'. _Can this mind-reader see what she sees?_ I wondered.

"What are you thinking?" she practically shrieked at him. "Why are you going to Seattle?"

"She blames me," he replied, unfazed by her anger. "Victoria is hunting Bella because she wants revenge against me for James' death. I think Jasper is right that she may run if she smells any of the rest of you, but if she smells me…"

_Bait. Not a bad idea, leech_. His eyes narrowed in annoyance, which was a bonus in my book. _So you figure she'll go crazy when she figures out it's you and forget about self-preservation, huh?_

His lips curled up over his teeth. "Wouldn't you, if someone took Savannah away from you?"

I snarled and before I knew it had phased to wolf. _Damn you—leave her out of this!_ I mentally shouted my fury at the low blow and implied threat against my imprint.

_Ease up, Jake,_ Embry cautioned.

_Are you kidding?_

_Hey, if he wants to risk himself, I say let him._ Paul threw in his opinion.

_Jake, don't lose it,_ Quil cautioned me through the pack link.

"Alice, what did you see?" the doc asked her. With effort, I concentrated. We needed to know this, too.

"Dark. The city. It's not raining. A young man…an old woman…being watched. Red. I see red."

"What happens? Ali, what happens?" her mate's voice was worried.

"_I don't know. _But, it's her, it has to be. Damn it, I can't see, and I don't know why."

"The dog?" Clearly, any promises to Bella aside, this Cullen wasn't going to be able to quit with the insults.

"Maybe, but I'm not sure." Her face was contorted.

"Jacob, I know you have obligations at home, and it's possible that with you gone, Alice may be able to get us more information. We can share anything relevant when we meet tonight."

_Fine._

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Carlisle POV

We watched in silence as Jacob Black loped across the grass and into the trees.

"What a mess," Rosalie observed, looking around at the tatters of fabric scattered on the steps and walkway, the remnants of his shredded clothes.

"Who's Savannah?" Emmett demanded. "Why'd that set him off?"

Each of us turned to face Edward. Thus far, the wolves' Beta had shown remarkable command of his temper, so this had to have touched a nerve for him to lose control like that.

"She's his girlfriend, his imprint."

"Did you think he wasn't going to react to even the implication of a threat against his mate?" Jasper glared at him. "I'd be furious if it was something said against Alice—so would any of the others. So, clearly, will the wolves."

"They had to know what they're up against."

"I believe they know that after the past year," I tried to keep any tone of censure out of my voice. "Antagonizing them won't help anyone, least of all Bella."

"They're so young," Esme whispered. "Carlisle, those boys are still children!"

"I know." I deeply felt the weight of responsibility which we—I—bore for our part in this: for coming back here and throwing the lives of these young men—and young women—into upheaval. To know that they were sacrificing the chance to be children, missing out on school, facing danger and injury…"Alice, do you know when this will happen?"

"No, but I might get an idea if I can check a weather forecast."

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Bella POV

Class and quiz out of the way, I had Emily and Leah drop me off at the entrance to the store, instead of around the side. I wanted to spend some time with Jared and his parents. He saw me when I came in and abandoned what he was working on.

"How was class?" was his question after kissing me.

"Fine. I'm glad it's over, though."

"Bella!" Laura came over and gave me a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm great."

"Feeling fine?" she queried.

"Yeah." And I was. Despite all the turmoil of the last day or so, I was feeling really good. Remembering part of the reason why, I looked over my shoulder at Jared. "Did you tell them?"

He shook his head. "Thought I'd wait for you."

"What's up?" James asked, coming up behind his wife.

"Not sure yet," she told him.

Jared and I exchanged a smile. "We felt her move this morning."

"Oh…" I got another hug from my mother-in-law. As we drew back, I saw tears shimmering in her eyes. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Doesn't really do it justice, but, yeah, 'amazing', definitely." Jared claimed me again, his hands finding one of their favorite positions, over our baby.

"Bella, have you thought of a theme for the nursery yet?" Laura asked, as we moved further into the store.

"Not really," I admitted. "We picked that light green color before we moved in because it would work for either a boy or a girl. It's almost hard to remember that we've only known we're having a girl for about a day now, so I know _I_ haven't thought of specifics yet."

"If you're interested, there are a couple of baby stores in Port Angeles that we could visit to get ideas."

I was torn. Now that I was past the mid-point in my pregnancy, I knew that we really had to get moving on the nursery. But I realized that, just like my wedding planning, this was something my mom was largely going to miss out on. Jared must have sensed something of what I was feeling.

"Most baby stores have websites, Bella. And if you get some ideas of what you like or don't like, Renee can do some shopping where she lives, and send or bring what she buys to us." I smiled in gratitude; I should have remembered from this summer that Laura would make sure Renee was included.

Jared and his dad stayed out in the store, going back to whatever they'd been doing, while Laura and I headed back into the small office. Settling into her chair, Laura shifted the conversation just a little. "Bella, I probably should have asked first, but when I was talking to my sister this morning, I mentioned to her that your baby's a girl—do you mind?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. She's Jared's aunt, so I don't mind at all."

Laura smiled. "I'm glad. Anyway, she wanted to me let you know that when you pick a theme for the baby's room, she wants to make the bedding set."

I couldn't help the tears—it meant so much that Jared's aunt wanted to make something so special and personal for our baby. "Please thank her for me, and we'll try to decide soon."

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the store, helping record inventory numbers and learning how they decided what and how much to order.

"We'll see you for dinner tomorrow," Jared told his parents as we left to head upstairs to our apartment. After a dinner of homemade pizza and salad, he said, "I think I'm going to take a nap before the practice."

"_We'll_ take a nap before the practice," I countered.

"Bella—"

"I need to be there, at least this time. I need to see for myself that everyone in the pack will be okay."

Jared looked at me intently. "Okay," he finally replied. "This time."

"Just this time," I agreed, and sealed it with a kiss.

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"Bella," I tried to burrow closer to Jared's warmth, only to find it absent. I cracked my eyes open enough to see him leaning over me. "You still want to come?"

It took a moment, but then I remembered that the pact was going to practice tactics with the Cullen's. "Yeah," I replied, and pushed the blanket back. Jared extended both hands and effortlessly pulled me to my feet.

"Dress warm," Jared suggested. "It'll be cool in the woods.

I quickly changed into leggings and a long-sleeve maternity top. I grabbed a sweatshirt and my new shawl before realizing I'd need shoes, too.

"Try these." Looking down, I found that Jared was kneeling at my feet, holding a sturdy pair of hiking boots. "We'll have to walk to the clearing, so these should help."

"Thank you." I accepted both the boots and his help in getting them on.

We hadn't gone very far down the road before crunching gravel told me we weren't alone.

"This ever get old?" Drew asked Jared, coming up beside his brother.

"You asking questions? Yeah, years ago."

"Ha ha. I meant sneaking out."

"Not really, but it'd be nice if it was because we wanted to, not because we have to."

"Soon." This from Seth, now on my other side. It was more than a little odd to hear a 14-year-old sound so calm about an upcoming fight.

"You're not worried?"

"Nope," Seth assured me. "We know how to run them down and take them down one-on-one; after this, we'll know how to deal with more of them at once. Between us and the Cullen's, this'll be a piece of cake. Speaking of them…" his voice trailed off uncertainly, and even in the darkness, I knew he was looking my way.

"Spill it, Seth. What about them?"

"Jared?"

My husband chuckled wryly. "You might as well go ahead. She'll get it out of me, or one of the others, before long anyway. Imprint and all."

"After you both left, Jake stuck around a bit, filled them in on a few things. That psychic saw something, I guess."

"What did she see?" I wasn't sure I really wanted to know, but if she'd seen anything, then it couldn't have involved the wolves in any way.

Another sigh. "Victoria's hunting in Seattle again. This Alice saw her brother there too, evidently. Might be acting as a lure to get her out of there—didn't seem like she was too sure, though."

"Did she see anyone get hurt?" What, exactly, I thought of Edward's plan to make himself into bait, I wasn't sure about. However my feelings about him might have changed, I didn't want him to get himself killed out of guilt.

"Don't think so. Seemed like she didn't see much—they said she'd try to look for more once Jake was gone." Seth shrugged. "Guess we'll see."

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Jared POV

When we got near to the clearing, Drew and Seth split off to go phase. I planned on staying human unless Sam ordered otherwise. Breaking out of the trees, I could see that everyone else was already here: the wolves of the pack on one side, the Cullen's on the other. Sitting in one of the gaps between the two sides was a wrought-iron porch bench almost the size of a twin bed, with a few blankets and pillows on top of the cushion.

"We redecorating?"I asked rhetorically.

The blonde girl, Rosalie, answered me. "We weren't sure if Bella was coming or not, but we wanted her to be comfortable if she did."

"Thanks, Rosalie," Bella beat me to it. We headed over, and I got Bella settled before I moved to stand between Sam and Paul. Jasper Cullen-Hale-Whitlock-whatever stepped forward from the line of his family.

"I know you've dealt with vampires before, so I don't want to insult anyone," he began, reiterating his words from this morning.

I shrugged it off. "How do we fight an army of them?"

"When you fight a newborn, never forget that they are very strong and very fast—even more than we are. The first year is when a vampire is at their strongest. The two most important things to remember are: first, _never_ let them get their arms around you—they'll crush you." I could almost feel Collin's and Brady's agreement—they'd found that out firsthand their first day. "Second, never go for the obvious attack. Emmett," Jasper turned toward his brother. "Come show them what I mean."

"Bring it on," the big guy bounded forward, digging in one foot like a bull about to charge. Emmett raced toward Jasper, who waited, then spun and caught Emmett with a hand to his back. With a loud crash, Emmett impacted the forest floor. "Damn," he cursed. "Again."

"Fine." With a quick economy of movement, Jasper caught Emmett as he tried to get up, putting a knee to his spine, and pulling back slightly on both of his arms. "Finish your opponent quickly and move on. Don't try to be fancy or flashy; they won't be. Newborns are easily distracted, and tend to focus on the obvious," he resumed his lecture.

We watched as one by one he gave personal instruction to each member of his family. Rosalie moved like a gymnast, landing like a cat to avoid Jasper's strike. Alice danced around him for all the world as if she were on a TV show. Carlisle and Esme did well enough, but fighting clearly wasn't their preference or inclination. The most even match was between Jasper and Edward. Clearly, being a mind-reader gave him a leg up on the others in figuring out what the empath planned.

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Rosalie POV

My turn with Jasper over, I moved toward the chaise where Bella reclined to watch us.

"Are you comfortable?"

"I am," Bella offered a smile as her gaze drifted over to where most of the wolves were gathered.

"How did the two of you meet?"

"We both ended up going over to Jake's house at the same time. The imprinting—it was instantaneous for him, but took a little longer for me. Once burned, twice shy, I guess. He was great, though—incredibly patient while I worked through my issues."

As Bella shared more about her relationship with her husband and his pack, I listened more than I talked. She had the proverbial pregnancy glow, but more than that, her eyes literally sparkled whenever she looked at him or even said his name. And he was clearly just as besotted as she was. I honestly had to question exactly how much of Jasper's instructions he was absorbing, as I observed him looking over at Bella every other minute.

"Rosalie?"

"What, Bella?"

"Did Alice see anything else after Jake left?"

I felt my mouth drop open in shock. Had that idiot dog told Bella? Obviously, he had.

"You know?"

"Keeping secrets in the pack isn't really possible. Keeping secrets from us imprints isn't any easier. Plus, you know I have a way of finding things out on my own." Her brows lifted in faint challenge.

"I did remember that, actually." I had to admit that Bella's husband rose even higher in my estimation, for not trying to keep secrets from her.

Everyone had stopped moving with Bella's question. She looked over at my sister. "Alice?"

"It'll be dry on Friday. Jasper and I are going with Edward—our scents are there already. I think everything will be fine while we're there, but I'm not sure what will happen after that."

"Is that good or bad?" Bella was suspicious.

"It means I don't know. Some of it will depend on what Victoria decides to do. But it could easily be because we're successful in luring them this way."

"Alice, what are you doing?" Edward glared at her again.

"We're not keeping my visions a secret from the wolves, remember?" Alice shot back at him, in a small way expressing her displeasure at his past actions.

"It's nothing Bella needs to worry about." I noticed that Bella didn't seem to be paying much attention to Edward's arguments; apparently she didn't see the need to make her own contributions this time, just watched her husband.

"Bella's more likely to worry when she doesn't know what's going on," Jared snorted. "I don't keep secrets from my wife. If she wants answers, she gets answers; it's as simple as that."

"I think we need to focus on the matter at hand," Carlisle stepped in to get things back on track.

As the practice continued, Bella started fighting her need for sleep. Jared quickly noticed and came over. Stretching out on Esme's porch chaise, he helped Bella settle next to him, her head on his shoulder and her arm over his stomach. One of his arms supported her back, the other hand splayed protectively over the mound of her belly between them. For more than an hour they stayed exactly like that: Bella asleep, Jared alternating between watching her and glancing back over at the practice.

"She's so lucky to have you," I informed him in a whisper, not wanting to wake her.

"That's what Bella says," Jared agreed in a similar volume. "Personally, I think _I'm_ the lucky one."

"She seems to like sleeping that way," I judged, from the smile on her face.

"She has to sleep this way now 'cause of the baby, but, yeah, we've almost always slept like this anyway."

"How long, or do you mind me asking?"

"First time was about three days after I met her—first couple nights I'd circled outside but Sam had me stay home and sleep that night. Bella had a nightmare and I came over. Ever since then, there hasn't been a night we've been apart, except for those couple sleepovers at Kim's and the night before our wedding."

"Kim?" It wasn't a name I knew from Forks, yet I was glad that Bella had obviously found someone who was a better friend to her than any of us had been.

"A girl I graduated with. She's a good friend of Bella's now, and she's Embry's imprint."

"How's she doing?" the wolves' leader asked, approaching the chaise, his voice dropping off to a whisper as he saw that Bella was sleeping.

"She's been out for the last hour or so. I think she's okay, though," Jared replied.

"We're about done here, so we can all head home."

"Bella, sweetheart, wake up a little so we can leave." She shifted against him, and blinked her eyes open.

I reached over to help her sit up. Before I knew it, her free hand shot out to pull mine against her abdomen—and I could feel it: the light, fluttering movement of her baby. I gasped.

Bella met my eyes, a little smile on her face, even as she spoke to her husband. "I'm not sure she likes you making me get up," she told Jared.

"Sorry, baby," Jared slid off the chaise onto his knees, putting his head at the level of Bella's stomach. I sat, frozen, unable to think of anything besides the little flutters under my hand. "You and your mama will be a lot more comfortable if we sleep at home," he spoke to the baby as if she could hear him—and maybe she could, with a werewolf for a father.

Bella's hand reached out to rest against his cheek, her ring catching the faint glimmers of moonlight with her movement. "I'm ready if you are, she told him.

"Thank you," I whispered, drawing back my own hand with the greatest effort. They both gave me acknowledging looks, but didn't say anything. Gaining his feet, Jared bent and lifted Bella into his arms, her increased weight clearly making no more difference to him than it would to one of us. The two wolves they'd arrived with moved to flank them, and the quartet was quickly lost among the trees.

Carlisle extended the offer of more training at our house tomorrow night, if the wolves wanted to come. Getting a terse agreement, the session broke up and we all headed home. Alone in our old bedroom, I sat in front of the antique vanity Esme had refinished for me, staring at my reflection.

"You okay, babe?" Emmett appeared behind me, his brawny arms wrapping around me, drawing me back against him.

"I think so." And in an odd way, I was.

"Little Bella and the big bad wolf," he mused.

"Who's a big teddy bear where she's concerned. Still, he's given her everything, and she seems happy."

"Do you wish she hadn't done it?"

"What? Fallen in love with Jared? No. It's obvious they're wonderful for each other and he clearly puts her first."

"How'd you mean?" His face was pulled into that look of confusion that I secretly loved.

I shifted on the vanity stool until I'd turned around to face him. "If things were different, if Bella were with Edward and it was us seeking _their_ help to save her, I'm not at all sure that Edward would have let her come tonight. And he definitely wouldn't have willingly let her be as well-informed as she is about everything."

"She does have a way of getting answers from everyone, doesn't she?" Emmett grinned briefly.

"He was always so concerned about protecting her from anything; he'd have practically smothered her. Jared protects her, but you can tell he lets her stand on her own two feet, an equal partner."

"I guess she does seem a lot more confident than she was before," my husband conceded. "Do you wish she hadn't done what she did tonight?" he asked again.

I didn't pretend not to know what he meant. "No, I'm glad she did. I'd always wondered what that would feel like, and I'm grateful she was willing to share that with me. We are going to make this work," I whispered fiercely. "Bella is not going to lose things the way we did."

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Thanks once again to mc7575 for letting me bounce this chapter off you a few times. It was a huge help and big part of why it got done. I think it came out pretty well, but I'd like to know what you think.


	57. Thinking Ahead

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'm glad that my efforts were so appreciated. Congrats and thanks to genesis26 for helping "The Wolf and His Girl" hit the 1,500 review mark. I am very, very sorry that it took me so much longer than usual to get this chapter done. I had 2 papers and one group assignment all due the final week of the semester, and no sooner did I get those done than I got hit by some real-life stuff and a bout of writer's block. But I've got some time off now, so I hope to get back into the swing of at least weekly updates to the story.

To all my wonderful readers: Merry Christmas.

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Bella POV

Atypically, I woke up when Jared slid out of bed on Wednesday. "What else happened?" I mumbled. The mattress sank a little under Jared's weight as he sat back down.

"Another practice tonight—their place."

"When?" I shifted, trying to shove my pillow up enough that I could lean back against it.

"Want mine, too?" Jared chuckled, even as he tossed it on top of mine and helped me move.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Morning breath was ignored in favor of kisses. Finally drawing back, Jared shifted down in the bed. He slid my shirt up a little and started pressing kisses to my stomach. "Morning, baby."

"We're going to have to start talking about names, I think. We can't keep calling her 'baby." I squirmed a little as my sensitized skin reacted to the feathery touches of his lips on my belly.

"Yeah, it is kinda _Dirty Dancing_-ish." His head lifted while his hands took over. My face was probably its usual open-book; Jared's eyes started to glow and his lips to quirk. _Great minds think alike…_

Later, after we'd finally gotten around and were eating breakfast, I returned to our interrupted conversation. "When is the practice tonight?"

"Dinnertime. I'm not going."

"You're not?"

"I think I've picked up what I need to know—I'm staying here with you during the fight_, _remember? Besides, we're not canceling our dinner plans." Jared got up and gave his bowl a quick rinse before putting it in the dishwasher.

"Drew?"

"He'll stay, too. The rest'll probably go, though."

"I guess the others can fill you in on anything important, after the fact, can't they?"

"Yeah. Pack mind sure can be useful. Any plans for today?"

"I'm going to go see Emily. Daniel wants to go over some business stuff with us."

"'Kay. Might join you for lunch if that's alright."

"Like you need to ask." I shook my head. He knew as well as I did that Sam and Emily's door was rarely closed. He just grinned before kissing me again and leaving.

I used Jared's car for the drive over to Emily's. We still hadn't figured out what we were going to do about my truck. My belly was getting big enough now that I wasn't able to fit behind the wheel too comfortably anymore, and using it after our daughter was born wasn't really going to be an option either—it wasn't a child-friendly vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. The problem was that there wasn't really much of a market for ancient rusty trucks, and we probably wouldn't get anything in trade, either.

Leah was waiting along with Emily and Daniel when I got there, sitting on his lap looking very comfortable.

"Hi, Bella." Emily offered me her usual hug in greeting.

"Hi." I gratefully sank into a chair. Daniel got us straight to work.

"If everything goes well, you should have the catering license in a few weeks. I'd recommend checking with the county health department for a food handler's card. Restaurants require those for their employees, and it'll be a good thing for you to be able to tell your clients you've got."

"Okay, we can do that," Emily agreed.

"So probably the big thing for you to decide is what kind of catering you want to do."

"I don't know," I admitted. "We can do just about anything."

"But we don't want to start out too big," Emily reminded me. "I'm not going to let you overdo things any more than Jared will."

Leah cocked her head. "People tend to have parties around the holidays. What about starting out doing party foods?"

"Like finger foods and desserts?" Emily picked up on her cousin's thought.

"Those would be small and easy to duplicate," I realized. "We could probably even get help making them."

"So, what will we be making?" Emily pulled a notepad closer and started a list. "My muffins, your brownies-on-a-stick…"

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With the basics of our planned menu decided, Emily started pulling thing out for lunch. Daniel asked, "If I ask how you're handling things right now, am I going to get an earful again?"

I had to smile a little at the memory of his first unwise question. "I think I'm feeling alright. I've gotten some of the closure that I needed. I've gotten to have the say that he didn't give me last year. I don't agree with what he says were his reasons for leaving, or theirs for following him, but at least now I have something."

"Good for you. The not-knowing had to be rough." From his glance over at Leah, I could guess at least part of what he meant. "Now that they're back, how long are they planning to stay?"

We all looked over to Leah this time. She shrugged. "Haven't heard them say. I'm sure Sam will insist they leave after things are resolved."

"Guess they couldn't move back openly very easily, huh?"

I took this one. "No. They go through high school a lot—he said once that the younger they pretend to be when they start out in a new place, the longer they're able to stay without attracting too much attention for not aging."

"And they're 'too old' now, aren't they?" I looked up and smiled to see that Jared had arrived.

"Right. Edward and Alice were pretending to be seniors when they left, so everyone will have expected that they graduated last spring like we did. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper graduated the year before."

"How are my girls?" Jared wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head against his shoulder, breathing in the rich scent I loved so much.

"We're just fine," I murmured. "How has your day been?"

"Same old, same old."

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Seth POV

The whole pack—minus Jared, Drew, and Jake—broke out into the clearing surround the leeches' place just like Sam, Quil, and Jake had done that first night. The big one whistled when he saw us. _Guess we're pretty impressive_, I commented, while trying to ignore the stink.

_Of course we are_, Quil snorted.

The doc stepped up again. Had to admit I didn't envy him trying to keep the peace here.

"Welcome. Do we need to wait for Bella and the others?"

_This is it, _Sam thought at them. The red-head repeated that for his family.

"They aren't coming?" the blonde girl asked. We'd all seen her and Bella getting a little cozy last night, so it made sense she'd be wondering.

_No,_ Sam said shortly.

"Why not?"

_They just aren't._

"But—"

_Screw this_, I growled. Ignoring Leah's mental _Watch your language!_ I spun around and disappeared, returning human a few seconds later. "It's Wednesday," I told the Cullens. "Family night."

"Family night?" Sheesh, could they do anything other than parrot what we said?

"Yeah. They always have dinner on Wednesday with Jared's parents and siblings."

"And Jacob?" Points to them for figuring out the other missing wolf.

I felt my lip curl up, in a rare show of irritation on my part. "What did you expect? You threaten his imprint like that and then expect he won't be sticking as close to her as her shadow?"

"Did we switch conversations here?" The big guy had a confused look on his face that would beat Paul's any day.

I didn't even try to hide my eye-roll. "Jake's having dinner, too,"

They still didn't get it; okay, maybe I was having a little too much fun with this—the noise Sam made seemed to say so. "Jake's having dinner with Savannah's family tonight—her parents, brothers, and her sister-in-law." The mind-reader finally figured it out.

"Savannah is Jared's sister."

"Yeah. Drew's twin. Bella's little sister, now. I don't think she knows about what you said, by the way—yet, at least."

"You think she will?" The red-head almost looked worried.

"This _is_ Bella we're talking about here. I'd be willing to bet she'll find out about it before too long." Snorts from the rest of the pack said they agreed with me. Sam growled, and I didn't have to 'hear' him to know he wanted me to phase back. But before I did…"You know, that was pretty stupid, what you said to Jake."

"And why do you say that?"

"If you have to ask, you still don't understand." Obedient to my Alpha, I spun around and headed for cover.

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Bella POV

I was a little—okay, more than a little—surprised to see that Jake was at my in-law's house for dinner, too, especially as I'd figured he'd be at the practice with the rest of the pack. Jared and I exchanged a quick look, both of us noticing Jake's protective hover near Savannah. Neither of us said anything, though.

"Hey, Bella," Charlie had just arrived, still wearing his uniform.

"Hi, dad." He reached out to give me a quick hug, careful not to squeeze too tight.

"How you doing?"

"Great. She's starting to get a little active now."

"Already?"

I nodded. "Yesterday. Seems to be just when I'm changing positions after a while. She's been pretty quiet today, but if she starts moving, would you like to feel?"

"Sure. Wow, Bells." He glanced over at Jared. "Feels real now, doesn't it?"

My husband nodded. "Yeah. It's exciting, but a little scary, too."

"The rest of it's really going to fly, so you two take time just for you while you can."

"Good advice, Charlie, thanks."

My dad colored a little at the compliment. To cover it, he asked Laura, "Can I do anything to help?"

"Not a thing, Charlie," she replied, peeking through the kitchen doorway. "We're glad you could come."

"Hey, Jake," Charlie settled onto the couch. "Your dad got tired of feeding you?"

"Just figured I'd share the love, Charlie," Jake quipped, from his perch on the arm of the couch Savannah was on.

"Uh-huh." Within a couple minutes, all the guys were talking sports, so by mutual consent my little sister and I headed for the kitchen to join Laura.

The evening was a lot of fun, and I was able to mostly forget that the pack was meeting with the Cullens right now. The highlight of the night had to be when our little girl decided to cooperate when I got hauled to my feet. Charlie's face about lit up the entire house when he felt those little flutters. Oddly, I remembered Rosalie's face when she'd felt the same thing yesterday. I hoped she'd understood my gesture and that she hadn't thought I was throwing it in her face: what I had that she couldn't.

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Jared POV

My instincts were twitching, and Jake's tension was contagious. I needed to know what was going on, but I was sure I wouldn't like it. After my mom had stuffed us up, I silently asked Jake to walk out with Bella and me.

"What's the deal?"

Jake's whole body seemed to tighten up. Finally, he bit out, "Doesn't look like that leech is any better at keeping promises now than he was before."

"What did he say?" My wife's body had also stiffened.

"When I stuck around there yesterday morning, when they talked about going to Seattle…that Cullen seems to think that if she smells him she'll forget everything except revenge. Then he asked if I'd be any different than her if I lost Vanah." Jake's fists clenched. I felt the breath hiss through my teeth as I realized what he was saying.

"He threatened my sister?"

"That jackass!" Bella practically snarled. "Can he _possibly_ act more juvenile?"

"What?" we were both staring at her.

"He's like a child throwing a tantrum. Probably he hoped you'd tell me and I'd storm over. Well, I'm not going to play along. It'll be good practice for later on—we won't reward our daughter's negative behavior with attention."

Would she never cease to surprise me?

"So we're just supposed to ignore it? Uh-uh," Jake shook his head.

"_For now_. When this is over, _then_ you can tell him what you think."

"Priorities." I was telling myself this as much as I was telling Jake. "Bella—"

"I'd love to spend more time with our little sister."

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Jared POV

Bella had almost, but not quite, pushed me out the door tonight, for one final wolf-vampire practice session before the bloodsuckers went to Seattle. Not that we exactly wanted to keep cozying up to them, but none of us—including the psychic—had any idea what would happen after their expedition.

"I'll just hang out with all the others," she told me. I didn't really argue too hard; I knew it couldn't hurt, and might even help if the bloodsuckers tried something sneaky. And not quite, because I had a few things I planned to think to the leech. I agreed with what Bella had said last night, but as a big brother, I had to say _something._

The Cullens looked disappointed when we showed up sans Bella.

"Bella's not here?" Emmett asked.

_No, she's with the other imprints tonight. Kind-of a girls' night_, I thought. Daniel, I reflected, must be having a _wonderful_ time, surrounded by all that estrogen. Still, he was a good sport about it.

_Let's get on with this,_ Sam requested. After Edward Cullen had relayed both Sam's and my own comments, Jasper got us down to business.

He'd asked to see some of our moves, and we'd agreed—with reservations. We definitely weren't going all out like we usually did. Still, he seemed pleased by the time it ended. Sam sent the rest of the pack home, while he and Embry stayed behind with me.

_You are a complete asshole, you know that?_ was my opening salvo.

"For reminding your friend of reality?"

_You went way too far and you know it_, Embry was, as ever, Jake's wingman, even when he wasn't present. _You're just lucky he didn't go after you. Move in her direction and he will, count on it._

_Threats to our imprints aren't taken lightly,_ Sam warned. _Do it again, and we're more than likely to consider the treaty null and void._

_What were you after, anyway?_ I wanted to know. _See what it takes for us to snap? Hoping Bella would get upset if one of us moved against you? Don't count on that—keep it up, and she's likely to take a swing at you herself._ I thought back to the day I'd met her, when she'd done just that to Paul.

Knowing that any further conversation was pointless, we turned and ran for home. We all needed a good night's sleep. The vampires were going to Seattle, and what would happen next was anyone's guess.

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Hope this was worth the wait.


	58. Sand Through the Hourglass

AN: Thanks to everyone for being so understanding about my delay in producing the last chapter. I will endeavor to not repeat that in the future. That said, I had intended for this chapter to come out sooner, but plot considerations and a class weekend resulted in things taking a bit longer than I hoped; hopefully, this has come out as I intended (fingers crossed that you like it). I don't own Twilight, although I wish I did. Thanks again to mc7575 for offering suggestions and letting me bounce things off you, and most especially for helping me plug the gap. You're amazing.

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Bella POV

I was more decided than ever that I didn't need or want to spend much, if any, time around Edward or the other Cullen's. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got at what Edward had said to Jake. My understanding of his motives aside, _how dare he?_ I was impressed that Jake hadn't torn him to shreds on the spot, treaty or no treaty. I could only guess that he'd held back for my sake, to keep the Cullen's willing to help us. _Jake really is an amazing friend,_ I thought. While I was upset with Edward most of all, I still wasn't very happy with any of them, if I was being completely honest about it. I appreciated knowing more about Jasper and Rosalie, of understanding their stances toward me better, but why had it taken so long for them to share? It seemed like the Cullen's still didn't truly understand what they'd done to me, how badly I'd been hurt, or that things had changed forever—that _I_ had changed.

A knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts. The girls, and Daniel, were all coming over here while the pack met the Cullen's for one final practice before the vampires went to Seattle. I still wasn't sure exactly why they were going, but then, Alice's visions focused on decisions, not the motives for them.

"Bella?" Emily led the group inside.

"Sorry, I guess I was just lost in my thoughts." I put on a smile that ended up fooling no one.

"What's wrong?" Savannah reached out to touch my arm. "Does it have anything to do with how Jake's been acting the last couple days?"

She was just as perceptive as I was, apparently.

"How, exactly, _has_ Jake been acting?" his older sister Rachel inquired.

Savannah's nose crinkled. "He just watches, mostly. Like…" she bit her lips to stifle a laugh, "a puppy watching to see if someone's going to drop something to eat."

The rest of us weren't as self-possessed as Savannah, and laughed. She gave in and smiled. "But, why is he doing it? What happened?"

I sank down onto the couch and patted the spot next to me. "Edward said something to him a few days ago, and I think it brought out some mega-protective instincts in Jake. The wolves are all about protecting people—their imprints most of all."

"He threatened me?" my little sister leapt to the obvious conclusion. Everyone else was just as stunned. I quickly summarized the events as I knew them.

"Why would he do that? Bring Savannah into it?" Rachel wondered.

"You know, he almost reminds me of Claire throwing a tantrum," Emily mused. "He's not happy, and he wants everyone else to be miserable, too."

I shook my head at the thought. "A century-old toddler…or a perpetual teenager…either way, I wish he'd just grow up."

"A century old?" Daniel asked.

Thinking about it for a minute, I amended, "One hundred and nine—or maybe one hundred ten by now. He was born in 1901 and changed in 1918."

"Then he ought to be past stunts like this. But, that aside, what was he hoping to get out of that kind of tantrum?" Daniel pressed.

"I don't know," I admitted. "If he was hoping it'd get me to change my mind…then he never knew me at all if he thought that'd work, plus he'd be a liar for saying he could accept my choices…" I trailed off as a horrible thought burst into my mind, echoes of a long-ago conversation: _it was just something I had to think about once…_ One hand went over my mouth to quell a reflexive urge to throw up.

"What?" Kim demanded.

My voice was barely a whisper. "He might be hoping that something he says will anger one of the wolves enough that they'll attack him, kill him."

"To give his family an excuse to retaliate?"

"No—just so he'd die. It's almost impossible for them to be killed, and death-by-wolf is about the surest way there is—except for the Volturi."

"Who are they?"

"Vampire royalty and law enforcement. He said once that if he really wanted to die, he'd go to Italy and provoke them." Maybe he'd decided this way would be faster.

"If he does that, or anything else, it would be his choice and no responsibility of yours, Bella," Emily firmly told me."

"I know," and I did. "But I'm not going to let him manipulate the pack into being involved." If Edward really did want to commit suicide, he could damn well make it a solo process.

"Okay, enough morbidity for one night," Rachel decreed. "I'd say it's time for ice cream and a movie."

Daniel was a good sport when we ended up picking "Monster-in-Law". "Anything close to reality, Bella?" he teased while the credits rolled.

"Not even close. Laura is amazing. I'm really lucky."

Pounding on the stairs heralded the pack's invasion of the apartment. As usual, those with imprints made beelines in their directions; I was too wrapped up in Jared to see what the younger ones did first.

"Have fun?" Jake asked Savannah.

"Sure. We watched a movie, talked, and pretty much decided that Edward Cullen has a death wish. You?"

His mouth literally dropped open. "Huh?"

"Did you have fun?" Savannah repeated.

I heroically stifled a giggle as Jake's hands came up to rub his temples. "I meant the first part."

"You haven't answered my question yet. Shouldn't I get my answer first?"

I could feel Jared shaking given that he was still wrapped around me. I just knew he had no sympathy at all for Jake's situation.

"Yes, we had fun. Now, what did you mean about that death wish?"

Savannah rattled off a fairly coherent summary of what we'd talked about earlier. Sam considered it when she was done. "Worth keeping in mind," he judged.

"But would he really want to hurt Bella like that?" Jared questioned, guiding me back to the couch to sit on his lap.

"I don't know, Jared," Sam said. "I don't pretend to have any insights into a vampire's mind. Now that we have this possibility to consider, we can be more vigilant about our dealings with him to make sure it doesn't become a reality."

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Sam POV

Every second that ticked by on Friday seemed to increase my tension incrementally. It was like watching an hourglass where the sand trickled out one grain at a time. I felt sorry for the teachers at the school, knowing that the rest of my pack was also experiencing this same worry. The guys had tried to convince me that they ought to skip today, but I'd nixed that idea early on—no need to risk exposing our secret without a good reason, and this wasn't it. The three Cullen's were going to Seattle tonight, and none of us knew what to expect afterward.

_Lighten up, Sam,_ Leah suggested. Through our link, I could see that she was at the other end of the treaty line from where I was currently running.

_I will, when all this is over,_ I shot back.

_Won't we all?_ Leah's comment was clearly rhetorical. _So what's the plan for tonight?_

_We'll patrol around here, like usual. Keep an ear out, just in case the leeches send out a call, but otherwise, we'll just have to see what happens._ Much as I hated to acquiesce to a request from the bloodsuckers, I was going along with Alice Cullen's request for us _not_ to make any decisions where Seattle or this vampire army was concerned.

_Why? Why should we cater to what she wants?_ Leah demanded.

_I don't like it, you know that. Working with them is a necessary evil right now. They'll help us deal with this threat, end it, and then they __**will**__ leave._ I was determined on this. My gratitude for their help would extend as far as letting them walk away again when this was over, but no further.

I called the pack out after dinner, but I'd changed my mind during the day on what we'd be doing. Since the leeches were occupied, I'd decided that we should have a pack-only practice and put what we'd been learning to the test, without the holding-back we'd been doing around the Cullen's. Even so, despite it being more intense than horseplay, we still weren't going all-out like we would be when the fight came.

_Don't think, just react,_ I warned the young ones. If I could, I'd leave them sitting out just like Drew would be, but we just couldn't afford that.

_Paul, don't get careless. _Lightning-fast, Jake got in a good swipe, even with his claws sheathed.

_Not likely_, Paul spun around and lunged. Embry and Quil had Jake's flanks, though, as they always did; Paul didn't stand a chance. It gave me an idea.

_Do that again, _I commanded. _Brady, Collin, and Seth, you watch them closely. No, Seth, you help Paul._

Seth put his smaller size to good use and actually leap-frogged a tussling Paul and Jake to pounce on Quil. _Eat dirt!_ he crowed. Quil coughed after doing just that. _Man, Seth, why'd you have to do that?_

'_Cause I love ya, why else?_

We mixed things up like this for a while longer, trying different combinations, until everyone was confident and exhausted. _Jake, you and your wingmen up for running the line?_

_Sure, Sam. Let's go, guys._

_Everyone else, head home and get some sleep. We're sure to need it._

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Edward POV

Lacking any details in Alice's vision, Jasper decided that our best bet was to retrace the routes that he and Alice, and I, had taken through Seattle. Rosalie and Emmett pulled up crime statistics to try and get a feel for areas where Victoria and her newborns might be staying and hunting—that hadn't been productive, unfortunately.

"The attacks are all over the place. They're probably moving around a lot to avoid notice, too," Jasper thought aloud during our planning session.

"Did find some house fires, like gas explosions," Emmett pointed out. "Getting rid of evidence, maybe?"

Jasper nodded. "Most likely. Newborns tend to be destructive, so I'd expect some of them were places they stayed at and tore apart. It's possible they could also have been set to destroy the bodies of their victims."

Esme placed a stack of papers in the center of the table, printouts of internet articles she'd found. "There are photos of at least some of the missing," she told us. It might end up being useful, if we found any of them. Of course, it was just as likely that many of them were as dead as the known victims, just with their corpses better hidden.

Now that I was looking for it, the smell of my kind was everywhere here in Seattle; I could only blame my focus on getting back to Forks at the beginning of the week for having missed the scents before. I opened my mind as wide as possible—something I usually tried to avoid—ready to catch the faintest traces of anything relevant: the names or faces of Victoria's newborns, ideally.

_Come on_, Alice thought. _We won't find anything just standing here._

I nodded minutely and followed her and Jasper down a dark alley that cut through a city block between two main streets. The traces here were faint, so we circled the block to head down a more travelled street. A fleeting glance at a store window revealed a vaguely familiar name.

_It's the bookstore Bella and Jared went to in May,_ Alice thought. I remembered when Bella had told Rosalie about that, during out first practice with the wolves.

(flashback)

"_That's an interesting pendant, Bella," Rosalie began._

"_Thanks. Jared gave it to me back in May." Bella's hand came up to grasp it and her thumb circled the engraved design._

"_It's the same design as their tattoo, isn't it?"_

"_Yeah. It symbolizes strength and unity. Sue, Seth and Leah's mom, made this, and Jared gave it to me when we went to Seattle for the Muse concert the day after prom."_

"_You went to prom?" Rose was justifiably dubious—I well remembered how Alice and I had had to trick and practically drag Bella to the Forks prom last year._

"_Jared," was all Bella said. "We had a lot of fun that night, and spent most of the next day in Seattle. Dinner at a nice restaurant after spending a while in a bookstore; that's where he gave me the pendant. I've worn it every day since then, except for our wedding day—I wore your necklace then."_

"_You wore a vampire's gift to marry a wolf?"_

_Bella laughed, "Yeah. The sapphire made it my 'something blue.' So thanks for helping me out with that."_

(end flashback)

_Edward, come on_, Jasper's mental hiss broke the memory's hold. He led Alice and me closer to the waterfront; we all froze as we caught the fresh scent of vampire. _They __**have**__ to have found our scents from before,_ Jasper thought.

"Are we planning to stop soon? My throat's on fire." A young girl's voice floated down to us. I caught the timbre of her thoughts, the low burn of her thirst.

"Sure, its hours still until dawn—we've got plenty of time to hunt." Another voice, male, his thoughts concerned and even protective of her. He glanced at her, and I could see that I'd been right about her: no more than 15 or 16, tiny like Alice, long brown hair, skin that had once probably been olive. From her thoughts, I could see that this Diego was big—not as bulky as Emmett, though with similarly curly dark hair.

A squeaking noise drew attention to a shopping card being pushed down the street by an older woman, a sound which also caused a stir in a nearby alley: a young man, stinking of illegal drugs even from this distance.

_My vision!_ I didn't need Alice's reminder; I remembered it, too. We were moving, even as whistling air told that the newborns were descending from their rooftop perch. Jasper snarled, drawing their attention away from their intended prey. Instantly, the male pivoted to stand between us and the girl, crouching instinctively. His thoughts roiled chaotically: _it's them…Bree…why…can't.._. Jasper mirrored the gesture, but remained where he was—if we could avoid escalating things, so much the better. He didn't hold much hope of that, though; his experience with newborns suggested an attack was almost a certainty. This newborn didn't attack, though—his thoughts were a mix of his awareness of being outnumbered, and caution at the sight of Jasper's scars. _I've got to protect her, can't let them kill her._

"We're not going to kill you, not unless you attack us," I replied.

"Why? How did you-?"

"You know who we are?" I asked, not answering just now, wondering as I did if he'd actually answer.

"You're the yellow-eyes, the ones who want to fight us for these hunting grounds."

_What?_ I knew that Jasper and Alice were just as stunned as I was.

"Who told you Seattle was our territory?" Jasper demanded.

"Riley," Diego replied.

"Is he the one who created you?" Alice asked from behind Jasper; she ignored the scowl she knew was on his face.

It was Bree who answered this time. "No. He found us, but _she_ is the one who bit us both."

"Victoria?"

"We don't know her name. Riley said it wasn't important—" Diego broke off as Bree interrupted him.

"And that our thoughts weren't safe."

_How would she know about your gift? Laurent? _Alice asked. I had no answer.

"What's going on?" I could tell that Diego was trying to figure things out.

"How old are you?" Jasper asked him, deliberately straightening up and projecting an air of calm.

"What do you mean? How old _was _I, or how long have I been a vampire?"

"Both."

"I was eighteen when Riley found me, and that was…eleven months ago, now."

"I think I was almost sixteen, and it was three months ago for me," Bree offered.

"Damn it," Jasper muttered. "Why are they changing teenagers?"

From her thoughts, I could tell that Bree was literally soaking up Jasper's calm, and silently urged him to keep it up. "After I woke up," she murmured, "he told me to try and not get myself killed, that he needed numbers. Why? What for?"

"We're supposed to attack you, aren't we?" Diego asked, while thinking _he said this was the yellow-eyes' territory, but we've never seen them, and they seemed surprised when I said it, and we've never seen her, and I want to know what's going on!_

"That's what she wants. Our home has been in the western part of the state, not here. Victoria's mate, James, decided to hunt a member of our family last year. We caught up to him and killed him. She's out for revenge. But she's not willing to attack us directly, and she's using you newborns to do it." I answered his thoughts again, and Diego literally stumbled back in shock.

"What the hell?"

"Edward, watch it!" Jasper warned me. "These newborns won't stay calm for long if that keeps up."

"Why are you calling us babies?" One didn't have to be an empath to sense Bree's agitation.

"But that's what we are, isn't it?" Diego reasoned. "New vampires?"

"You are," Alice agreed.

"We're just pawns, aren't we? Just a distraction to you so that she can try to finish the job her mate started?"

"All of you are pawns," my brother confirmed. "She won't care about what happens to any of you, any more than she did when she forced you into this life."

"And Riley?"

"He was from the same area as our home, which is probably why she chose him. But if he's bringing you and others to her, he probably doesn't care either."

"He doesn't care," Diego's shoulders slumped. "Any time the others start fighting, if someone gets destroyed, he might yell some or rip off an arm, but then he just goes out and finds more. We don't matter to him at all."

_He's upset by that,_ Jasper thought. _He feels betrayed. And he's terrified for the girl—I think she's his mate, or at least could be._ Aloud, he said, "If they attack us, we _will_ destroy them all. You can choose to be part of that, or not."

"Or not?"

"You don't have to live like this, fighting and all. We don't." Alice moved forward, though Jasper didn't let her go farther than even with him.

"You don't?" Bree's eagerness was almost painful.

"No. We hunt animals, not humans, so we can live normal lives: have a home, jobs if we want them or go to school if we don't, live like a family…" Alice painted a rosy picture. Myriads of choices swam through Diego's mind, almost overwhelming me as he visualized the possibilities she'd described; Bree was a prominent feature in every single scenario. My eyes snapped to his face as his thoughts violently halted and a single clear sentence emerged from the chaos..._I have to keep her safe_. Diego sobered up, finally voicing his fears: "How do we survive this? They won't just let us leave!"

Alice's eyes glazed over as she looked for an answer. I watched her intensely, seeing possible future outcomes change as Alice thought through them. Not a single one was promising. Not a single one was without casualties. The only happiness Alice could offer them was a little more time together. "You have to stay with them for now. Keep to yourselves, don't vary your routine. Don't give them a reason to suspect anything." Alice's voice disappeared as a new vision overtook her; only Jasper's hands kept her on her feet. Her eyes kept darting from between as she struggled to form sentences with either thoughts or words. "We have to draw her out...NOW! We do not have time to play her games, Edward—you saw that!"

Diego jumped in "How-?" I cut him off before he could finish that question; what he didn't know, he couldn't betray, willingly or not. "You tell them I'm waiting. You say that I can't wait to tell Victoria all about how I killed James, how I ripped him to shreds and burned him to nothing. And I'm going to laugh at her for thinking she can hurt me."

"Are you crazy?" Diego hissed. Jasper almost winced from the force of emotion being projected. "You tell me to keep a low profile one minute, then tell me to walk up to Riley and our creator and just say that I had a conversation with you?"

"He's right; they'd kill him for sure." Jasper was all soldier just now. "But if it looks like he put up a fight…"

"What are you talking about?" It was Bree's turn to hiss, just as protective of her friend-mate as he was of her.

Diego ignored us to face her, hands on her shoulders. "Bree, it's got to be believable, or we're dead. Riley may trust me more than any of the others, but not so much that he wouldn't suspect something if I just walk back into the safe house in one piece. But if I say this one found me alone, ripped off my arm and delivered his threat…I think I'll be okay. You come back separately, so they don't think you know anything."

"That should work," Alice told him. "But Bree's got to go now—take a swim first to wash our scents away. Edward, Jasper and I will be waiting at the edge of the city." As they ran off, Jasper thought of the best way for me to remove Diego's arm convincingly. Bree lingered for a moment, and I had to turn my face away as Diego pulled her close for a soft, tender kiss.

"Go," he whispered. When he was gone, he asked me, "If they…if I don't…can you try to protect her?"

"If it's possible, we'll do what we can. Are you ready?"

With a deep, steadying breath, he nodded.

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Bella POV

I didn't really know much about what might have happened in Seattle last night. All Jared had heard from Sam was that Edward, Alice, and Jasper had encountered one of the newborns and passed a message on to Victoria. I knew that Jared wouldn't try to keep things from me, so if there was anything more to the encounter than that, either Sam hadn't relayed those details or the Cullen's hadn't. Either way, we now had to wait and see what she would do; that she _would_ do something, none of us doubted.

I mostly pushed it from my mind that Saturday. Laura had reminded me about the baby store in Port Angeles, and our plan to go get some ideas so my mom could start shopping. Kim and Savannah both joined us—Kim saying she was going to get me the outfit promised on my birthday, no arguments allowed.

"Try this one," Kim pushed an outfit into my arms.

"And this one," Savannah approached with another.

"Okay, okay," I laughed. "You know, I can only try on one at a time. Pace yourselves, or I'll revolt." But I still smiled at them both as I headed for the dressing room.

I tried on the dress Savannah picked out first. "I like it," I said once I'd come out of the dressing room. "But I'm not sure where I'd wear it."

"Jared's birthday is in a couple months," she offered.

"And I'm sure I'll be getting a lot bigger between now and then. I'd hate to get something now to wear for his birthday and then not be able to fit into it."

"Well, Emily and Sam promised you an outfit, too, so maybe you could save theirs until closer to time," Kim suggested, "and use mine for something you can wear now."

While I debated between a couple comfortable outfits, I took some time to wander the store with Laura. It didn't take too long for me to figure out why Alice found shopping to be so much fun. I couldn't help _oohing_ and _ahhing _over the adorable tiny baby clothes and socks. "These are so cute!"

"I have to confess that baby shopping is something I've missed," Laura admitted. She had a small notebook in hand and had been making notes of things I liked. Renee, I was sure, was going to have a field day with the store's website.

After I'd chosen an outfit similar to my birthday ensemble—"It's comfortable", I insisted, overriding any objections—Savannah, Kim, and I headed outside for a breath of fresh air while Laura paid for a few baby items we hadn't been able to resist getting. We were still a few yards away from the car when I noticed something flapping over the passenger-side mirror. I froze instantly. "_No_!" I felt like I was in some kind of horrible nightmare. Dangling beside the car was an all-too-familiar object: my jacket—the jacket that had been stolen from the Mahan's car weeks ago in Seattle. "Someone was here," I managed, feebly gesturing toward the car.

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Wow, surprised and pleased that so many people already like the appearance of Bree and Diego. Since there have been so many comments, I've decided to create a new poll for my profile page to see what you'd like to see happen with them. Can't promise that the majority will rule, but it might give me some ideas.


	59. The Reply

AN: Wow, hard to believe it, but I've just hit the one-year anniversary of starting this story here on the fanfiction site. Time sure has flown. As I've said before, this story long ago surpassed anything I expected when I began, and we're not done yet. I'm sorry that my old habit of 2-3 updates a week has gone by the wayside, but I'm sure you can understand real life taking up time, as well as my desire to make each chapter as perfect as possible. We're at a crucial part of the story right now, and unfortunately that means my muse needs extra time and motivation to inspire me. Thanks to the 1,035 people who have put me on favorites/alerts and my 280 amazing reviewers (and the 1,599 reviews you've given). Sammy, thanks. Glad you like it. Hope this came soon enough.

Now, I know we're all Jared fans here, right? But that Breaking Dawn photo that was released recently does look yummy, doesn't it?

Congratulations to Muse (my favorite band), on their Grammy win for Best Rock album.

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From last chapter:

_I froze instantly. "No!" I felt like I was in some kind of horrible nightmare. Draped over the mirror was an all-too-familiar object: my jacket—the jacket that had gone missing from the Mahan's car weeks ago in Seattle. "Someone was here," I managed, feebly gesturing toward the car._

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Bella POV

"Grab that," Kim urged Savannah, her cell phone out and fingers flying over the keys. "Pick up, pick up. Leah, its Kim. We've got a problem—someone was at the car and Bella's jacket is back. I don't know where they are—not here. Okay, we will." She snapped her phone closed, just as my jacket disappeared into the depths of the shopping bag Savannah held. "Okay, back in the store. She'll be here in a minute. Sorry, Laura," Kim addressed my mother-in-law, who'd just emerged from the store. "I just remembered something that I forgot to show everyone."

Kim put on a really good act until the door opened a couple minutes later with a loud jingle. "You girls planning to shop all day?" Leah's voice was overly cheerful.

"Oh, hello, Leah. I didn't know you were going to be here today, too." Laura greeted her on our behalf.

"Mom talked me and Daniel into bringing Seth and a couple of his friends to the arcade here." She gestured behind her to where Daniel stood; the jingle of the door heralded Collin and Brady's entrance, and I guessed Seth must be outside somewhere. While I might have expected a tiny part of me to be irritated that someone had secretly given an escort, I was actually feeling nothing but grateful, if it meant that some danger had been thwarted.

"Well, I think we're done for today," I could only hope and pray that I would be able to pull of this acting job and keep my mother-in-law from becoming suspicious. "We picked out a few things, and got some ideas for my mom; I want her to feel involved even if she is on the other side of the country."

"I'm sure she'll like that. Do you need any help getting the pictures sent?"

"It's not hard, but I'd be glad of company." Leah's offer was, I knew, a way to get us back to the protection of the whole pack. Our trip home was quick and fortunately uneventful.

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Jared POV

It had started out as a fairly ordinary Saturday. The girls in my family had gone shopping in Port Angeles, and Sam had detailed Leah and the younger guys as covert escorts. If Bella found out and didn't agree, I knew we'd all hear about it, but Sam had gone ahead anyway. I'd expected to be stuck in the store while Bella was gone, but my dad had waved me away when I'd walked in. "Go have some fun with your friends. Enjoy the free time while you can."

I'd taken his advice, and joined the original pack over at Charlie's place, my father-in-law having issued the invitation to watch the University of Washington's game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

"Thanks for letting us invade like this, Charlie," I told him.

"No problem. Nice to have some fellow fans around for a change. Bells has never been into sports. What's she up to today?"

"Went shopping with my mom and sister. Think they're getting some ideas to share with Renee."

"Bet she's enjoying that," Charlie smirked. "Likes shopping about as much as sports."

I shared his grin. "True. But this is shopping for our baby, not her, so I think that helps." We all settled in front of the big screen TV, snacks at hand.

"Aw, hell, don't do that," Jake groaned at the screen, as the U-Dub defense totally blew a play.

"Language, Jake," Billy chided.

"You say a lot worse," he retorted.

"Game's not over yet," Charlie commented mildly, dropping into his chair with another can of his favorite beer in hand after handing one to Billy.

"They keep that up, and it will be," Paul snorted. His words looked to be prophetic given that the game started turning into a blowout. We wouldn't know that until later, though, because Sam's cell phone rang. His end of the conversation was short, innocuous, and had all of us on edge. I barely paid any attention to whatever excuse he used to get us out of there. We bailed from the cars at the edge of the rez.

_Report_, Sam ordered.

_I'm outside Port Angeles,_ Seth told us all. _Tracking a leech. Man, he's zig-zagging all over the place. Damn it._

_Who's close?_ was Sam's next question.

_Quil and I are most of the way there,_ Embry answered. _What is this guy trying to do?_

We watched through Seth's eyes as the bloodsucker raced south, away from Port Angeles and the girls. He used a huge boulder as a launch-pad into the trees.

_Which way did he go?_ Seth skidded to a stop and cast around for the scent.

_This way,_ Quil called. The creep was racing through the treetops now, cutting one way, then another, even doubling back.

_Paul, run the line. Drew, get to Emily's, phase, and have her check in with Leah. Then run with Paul. Jared, Jake, with me._ Sam shot off orders and we all split. Within minutes, Drew faded out. His report came quickly.

_Leah, Collin, and Brady are following your mom's car back to the rez. Everyone's fine._

I staggered to a halt and practically collapsed.

_Jared?_

_She's okay?_

_They're fine. They're fine._ Jake seemed to be reassuring himself as much as me.

_Seth, Quil, Embry. Someone report,_ Sam ordered.

There was no discernable reply, just a feeling of irritation.

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Jared POV

Never since my first few days as a wolf had I felt so completely out of control. _I could have lost them!_ My instincts screamed at me to—to act like the animal I often became. I was glad my mom had headed home after dropping Bella off, because there was no way I would have been able to handle the necessary deception of Leah hanging around, even for a minute. Girl or not, I'd really had to fight lunging at my pack-sister for what could have happened. _She'd better have a damn good excuse for this,_ was my mental growl, though only I heard it right now. I tried to take deep breaths and paced rapidly between the living room and kitchen a few times.

"Jared?" Bella's voice was quiet and full of concern.

"Give me a minute." Instead, she approached me and laid a hand lightly on my arm. "Bella."

Bella's dark eyes met mine, filled with the same echoes of fear at what could have been. Despite the risk she had to know it posed, she moved closer to me and wrapped her arms around me. "We both need a minute." And she was right; just like after the first invasion of her bedroom back at graduation, her touch helped me to calm down. "Jared—" I whisked her off her feet and we were in the bedroom in seconds. Somehow I managed to lay Bella down on the bed gently. I knew I should walk away, go run this wild energy off, but Bella's eyes were on me again. "It works both ways," she whispered. "I'm what you need as much as you are for me. Jared." She held out one hand to me.

"I want—too much. I could hurt you."

"You won't. I trust you. I know you'll be careful of us both." All will to resist now gone, I dropped to the bed beside her and pulled her close with a hand to her back. Beyond a whirlwind—we plunged into an inferno, like the boiling heat before a first phase. Bella's skin was heating up and my hands skimmed along her shoulders, her arms, her belly…

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Bella POV

I'd been riding an adrenaline and hormone rush ever since I'd seen my jacket, and knew Jared had to be feeling that and more. I could guess that the imprint was at least partially responsible for his loss of control just now and didn't mind in the least. This far surpassed the tempo of our night in his car, the night I imagined our daughter had been conceived. I pressed against him as close as possible and felt him give way until he was on his back and I was leaning over him…

Even after my breathing had returned to normal, Jared still curled around me, trembling.

"Jared?" I whispered. "Ayasocha?"

"Wali tacha'a," he took a shaky breath. "I could have lost you, lost you both. How could this have happened?"

"I don't know; my luck, probably. But we can find out…if you'll let me out of bed."

"What?"

"I know there's going to be a pack meeting, right? Shouldn't we get ready to go?"

"Not yet. I need—I just need to hold you for a while. Okay?"

I squirmed enough to be able to reach and stroke his arm. "As long as you need to. I am right about the meeting, aren't I?" I pressed.

"Aren't you always? Sam put it off for a while, said our tempers needed time to cool—Jake's, Embry's, and especially mine."

"I know you're angry, but please, give them a chance to explain—there might be a good reason," I requested.

"They let three imprints get within feet of a monster!" he swallowed audibly. "I'll do my best," Jared's promise wasn't exactly as much of a promise as I was looking for, but probably was as much as he could give. Eventually, his arms relaxed and he rose, helping me up as well.

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Jared POV

Once the town was out of sight, I picked her up and ran quickly to Sam's. Noises from around back told me the pack was waiting, and I deposited Bella gently on the porch before turning the corner to join them. Every step I took away from Bella seemed to dissipate the calm she'd given me. For the first time in ages, I couldn't manage to strip before I phased.

_What the hell happened today?_ I snarled, Jake echoing me a second later, having followed me around the side of the house.

_I don't know!_ Leah's body sank low to the ground, her thoughts full of shame at her earlier lapse.

_Explain_, Sam ordered.

(flashback)

Leah POV

"What's wrong?" Daniel tugged me closer over my half-hearted protest. We were sitting at a table in the snack area of the Port Angeles Arcade. Not my ideal place to be on a Saturday, especially with the loud music, but Bella and her family were at a baby shop and we'd been covertly detailed as escorts—covertly, as only Kim knew we were near. Collin and Brady were standing at one of the videogames, and Seth was taking a turn patrolling outside of the city. I wasn't sure how to answer his question, even to myself. He waited a few minutes. "Leah? I know something's bothering you—it has been for weeks now."

"I'm fine."

Daniel pulled me to my feet and out the front door, not stopping until we'd turned around the corner. "I'm not an idiot, Lee. Don't try to feed me that line of crap. You don't want to talk to me, fine; just please talk to someone. You think I haven't noticed you getting tenser by the day? _Something_ is eating at you."

"I hate this!" I burst out, his persistence finally poking a hole in the dam I'd erected inside. "I hate being a wolf, not having control, how its ruined so much, how it took—" I choked off, not able to make myself say it, say what I knew was true.

Daniel's hands came up to cradle my face. "What did it take, Lee?" My eyes squeezed shut and I tried to bury my face against his shoulder. "Leah?"

"My dad." He waited out my silence. "He died of a heart attack the day Seth and I phased the first time." My voice dropped to a whisper. "He died _because_ we phased—because _I _phased."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because they were sure a girl joining the pack couldn't happen until I did it. I'd been so angry for so long—not just at Sam, but my dad too—because he supported Sam even after the way he broke up with me. And then that day, when I heard him tell my mom that Jared was probably going to propose to Bella before long…I lost it. It hurt so much, but I still remember how he doubled over—" I finally lost it, finally gave in to the tears I hadn't shed in the past two and a half months.

Daniel's arms clamped around me, squeezing tight. He didn't say anything—there wasn't anything he _could_ say. We stood there, ignoring the rest of the world, until my cell phone rang. "Yeah?"

(end of flashback)

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Jared POV

_Lee…hell Lee, it wasn't your fault._ Sam's anger evaporated, as did most of mine. _Harry had heart trouble for years. He knew it, and didn't make changes in his life. I just wish you'd said something sooner._ Sam paced forward and touched his nose to the top of Leah's head.

_I couldn't. I blamed myself enough; I didn't need the rest of you doing it, too._

_That's going to stop right now, got it? _Sam moved back to his Alpha position. _Okay, Leah had a good reason. You two want to explain why **you** didn't catch this leech's scent, either?_

Both Brady and Collin were pressed to the ground, groveling, tails clamped as far as possible between their legs. _We're sorry. We just…_

_We were playing a video game. We didn't know Leah wasn't on point, or that Seth was pulled away. _

(flashback)

Brady POV

Col and I had exchanged a grin and a high five when we'd seen the dual motorcycle game.

"Eat my dust," he challenged.

"Bring it on, shrimp!" I shot back. We went at it like we were really riding bikes. Seth and Leah were both on watch, so I figured we could cut loose for a little while.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" Leah hissed, making us both jump. "There's a bloodsucker around."

(end flashback)

_We followed the scent for a few minutes. It went straight up to the car, then straight back the way it'd come._ I dared a quick glance upward.

_We thought about heading for Seth, but we heard Leah's excuse to Jared's mom, and thought we ought to stay close…_Collin rolled over onto his back, belly and throat fully exposed. The others had every right to be mad at us: we'd screwed up big time.

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Daniel POV

"So what happened today?" Emily asked, probably speaking for everyone.

"It started out okay. We were just talking about everything that's been going on…"

(flashback)

"It seems so crazy, doesn't it? Bella's life? She went from dating a vampire to marrying a werewolf, graduating high school to getting married and having a baby. And all of it while a bloodsucking vampire is trying to kill her." Leah shook her head.

"Maybe. Or maybe she's just decided not to let what _could_ happen get in the way of what she wants." I tried to be reasonable; seemed like a good idea considering I was matched up with a temperamental werewolf. "Are you worried about her?"

"Envious, mostly." That confused me. Leah caught it and elaborated. "I get why the Barbie-doll didn't like Bella before: the options Bella has that she doesn't. I can even sympathize with her, as insane as that sounds. If it hadn't been for this whole wolf-thing, Sam and I would probably be where Jared and Bella are, only not here. Sam would have taken that scholarship, I'd've joined him a year later; we'd have put the rez behind us and started a life together. Instead, we got stuck here, pulled apart, every dream just shot to hell."

My arms tightened around her reflexively. "I'm sorry you were hurt so badly, but I can't say I wish it could be undone. If it hadn't, we might not have met. I think Bella feels the same way."

"Okay…I'm sure she's glad I'm happy now." She favored me with an eye-roll.

"Watch it, minx. You know perfectly well what I meant. I'm sure she'd have preferred to avoid the pain of last year, but I'd say she considers Jared to be worth it."

"I just can't figure out how she's doing it: acting like everything's fine. In her place, I think I'd be freaking out all the time, worrying…" I knew what she meant as well, but the past two months had showed me that that wasn't Bella Mahan's style. Deciding my girlfriend needed a distraction, I shut her up by the simple expedient of a long kiss. After finally letting her go, I hooked my arm around her and pulled her up against me. "Bella seems pretty unique, just as you are. And everything will work out, Leah. I don't mind imitating teenagers here and saying that I'll do everything I can to give you what you want."

(end flashback)

"She was quiet after that and I knew something was really bothering her." I took the chance on her getting mad at me and gave them an overview of what she'd finally told me. Bella's eyes shone with tears and Emily had a hand pressed to her mouth.

"Uncle Harry died back in May. She's had that bottled up all this time?" Rachel managed.

"Is that what they're talking about out there?" Bella asked, wandering to the window and looking out. We followed her gaze, and could just make out the glimpse of a couple of the wolves out back.

"Probably. That, and how the kids weren't paying attention today."

"They're—" Bella whirled around and headed for the door. An exchange of stunned glances, and we headed after her.

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Bella POV

Heading outside to join the pack, I felt a sense of déjà vu, as if that first day was repeating itself with about three times as many people. The wolves were in a circle, with who I was guessing were Brady and Collin in the middle. One was pressed to the ground, the other on his back in what I'd learned was a wolf's posture of submission; both were whimpering softly.

"Sam, they're kids. Kids under lots of pressure. I'm fine, we're fine. Okay?"

A shifting of the wolves provided cover for Sam to shift and pull on his shorts. "They lost focus, Bella. You, Savannah, and Kim could have been—"

"But we weren't. We're all okay. So what happens now?" I wasn't arguing against the others feeling upset, but beating the kids into the ground wasn't going to change anything, and besides, the worst _hadn't_ happened.

"Think we need another meeting?" Jared had phased back, too, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Guess we _should_ keep our allies informed," Sam's mouth twisted.

"Okay." I pulled out my phone, and retrieved Rosalie's number from my contacts list. "We need a meeting," I told her after she'd answered. "At the treaty-line."

"We're on our way_._"

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Jasper POV

Other than the training sessions with the dogs and the trip Alice, Edward, and I had taken to Seattle yesterday, we had honestly been bored the past few days. Naturally, Bella and the changes she'd undergone in the last year had been a main topic of conversation. Rosalie and Esme had spent hours talking about Bella's pregnancy. I'd been worried at first, but that had faded the longer I'd listened to them; both were simply happy that Bella was happy. Alice trawled online baby stores, fantasizing about outfitting the nursery for Bella's daughter; when she wasn't doing that, she envisioned decking Bella out in the latest couture maternity-wear. I tried to dampen her enthusiasm—I doubted that Bella was any fonder of Alice's passions now than she had been last year. Carlisle reviewed medical literature on pregnancy, more to pass the time than from any expectation that Bella would solicit his opinion; we knew from her talk with Rosalie that Bella was seeing a nurse at La Push.

Emmett couldn't get over Bella's new choice in friends; he found it hilarious, actually. His irrepressible nature was a big help to me, especially with Edward's dampening melancholy. I did what I could to instill in Edward some sense of acceptance of the way things were now, but whether or not I was accomplishing anything would remain to be seen. As for myself, I felt the rising tingle that presaged a battle.

All of our varied pursuits this Saturday afternoon were interrupted by the ringing of Rosalie's cell phone: the ringtone she'd designated for Bella's sole use.

"Hello, Bella."

"We need a meeting. At the treaty line."

"We're on our way."

We hadn't yet arrived in the clearing, but I could already feel the wolves. "Something's happened," I told my family, increasing my pace. "Their agitation is overwhelm'n."

"Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not sure. Their thoughts aren't very clear. Something seems to have scared them. Almost all of them are thinking about their imprints."

"Bella sounded fine on the phone," Rosalie reminded us. Breaking though the last of the trees, we saw the wolves waiting for us. Sam, Jacob, and Jared faced us in their human forms, the rest as wolves. Unlike our last few interactions with the pack, Bella was with them this time. Her Jared had her in his embrace and I could sense by what a thin thread his control was holding, the struggle to keep his fear, his terror, at bay.

"You were right," the Beta snarled. "Going to Seattle was a _great_ idea." I was buffeted by a wave of anger and fear.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, after Edward had subtly shaken his head. "She seems to have just been sending a message of her own," he mused, after Sam had filled us in on what had happened earlier today. "We shouldn't overreact to this."

"Let me see you say that when it's your wife they practically walk up to," Jared snarled. Embry and Jake both wore matching scowls.

"Did'ja catch him?" Emmett butted in. Instantly, the wolves' ears flattened against their heads and I caught a defensive anger.

"He stayed in the trees and headed upwind," Edward reported, gleaning their thoughts. "They tried for a while to pick up the scent again, before Sam ordered them to shadow the cars."

"Do you mind?" Jacob hissed, nostrils flaring.

"No, he doesn't," Emmett answered. "You get used to it." The glares from the wolves, both human and not, said they had absolutely no intention of 'getting used to it'. For a few minutes, I'd been noticing a growing sense of nervousness and let myself ignore this verbal tussle in favor of focusing on it. _Edward, do you hear anything?_ His answering hiss had me spinning around to face whoever was coming, and saw two pairs of ruby-red eyes.

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Ayasocha = Are you okay?

Wali tacha'a = I don't know

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AN: Thanks so much to mc7575 for reading through no less than 5 drafts of this chapter, and for the ideas and research. Couldn't do it without you.


	60. The Fight, Part 1

AN: Abject apologies for the mean cliffhanger I left you with. In my defense, I don't usually do that, and in this case it was unavoidable—the chapter wouldn't have gotten out anytime in February if I hadn't ended it there. I'm also sorry I left you hanging for so long. I had a very, very intense month for one of my classes and literally had no time for anything else. My muse also went MIA for a while, so much thanks to Mc7575 for giving me support and some ideas. I hope my effort here is worth your wait.

I don't own Twilight, and I'm grateful Stephenie Meyer doesn't seem to mind me (and others) playing in her universe.

I went back and made a few minor adjustments to chapter 59.

Bailey: Thank you, and I am.

MS: I will, promise. I just have a lot of school stuff going on that has to take priority over fun stuff like writing fanfiction. Even if my updates aren't as frequent as they used to be, I _will_ see this story through to the end.

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From last chapter:

Jasper POV

For a few minutes, I'd been noticing a growing sense of nervousness and let myself ignore this verbal tussle in favor of focusing on it. _Edward, do you hear anything?_ His answering hiss had me spinning around to face whoever was coming, and saw two pairs of ruby-red eyes.

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Jake POV

I'd been watching the empath for a while-didn't seem like he was focusing much on us anymore. His gaze flickered over to-_him_, then they both spun around. I'd only just caught the smell of what they must have noticed when two bloodsuckers appeared. Real bloodsuckers, with the eyes to prove it. I shredded my second pair of short tonight phasing in reaction.

With the 10% of my attention not focused on the enemies in front of me I saw that Jared had swung Bella around behind him, and that Drew and Seth had both pressed in close to the pair, fur to flesh. Each of my brethren was growling, low and dangerous. The ends of our line started to curve in, moving to surround these new bloodsuckers.

"Wait," Jasper ordered. _Like hell we will!_ There was no coordination, no plan. Embry and I lunged forward in unison. The mind-reader and the big guy got in our way, shoving us back. Embry yelped as a bone snapped. I shook off my hard landing, quickly moving back into a low crouch. The new leeches crouched, too, the male in front of the female.

"Chitakido!" Jared snarled. I had no clue how he'd managed to not phase—standing so close to Bella, maybe.

"Not here," Edward Cullen denied. "And as you said earlier, Seattle isn't your territory. These are newborns—they don't know any better." The renewed rumbling from the pack had to tell him we weren't buying that argument.

"Please, everyone. We all need to listen and see what's going on here. I know this is hard, but please, let's wait to react until we know what reaction is needed. Jasper?" The Cullen doc tried to calm things down, speaking—or trying to—over our noise. In response, a wave of calm spread over us, almost bowing our younger ones over with the pressure.

"You rile them up and we'll really have a hell of a mess on our hands." Jasper was clearly talking to us. To his leader, "This is Diego and Bree, the newborns we gave the message to last night." If this was supposed to make us feel better about them being here, it was a dud. Because of that message, Savannah, Bella, and Kim could have been…

_My imprint could have died today, and you think I'm going to calm down?_ Embry was back on his feet, teeth bared.

_They are **everything** to us. _I was almost incoherent. Did these leeches not understand how imperative the imprinting was, how binding? _Why do you defend these two? They kill people; these **are** our enemies._

"They didn't ask for this life," Edward Cullen told us.

_Neither did we!_

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Bella POV

My heart jumped up into my throat when both Jasper and Edward spun around to face the other way. As soon as I saw the reason why, I couldn't help a strangled scream. _No, no, not again!_ It was like a nightmare, like I was back in the ballet studio with James or the meadow with Laurent. Standing here was like being in the middle of a volcano about to explode. The world had blurred around me when Jared had whipped me off my feet and around behind him. Pressed as I was with a wolf on either side of me, I couldn't see a thing.

I pressed my face into Jared's back, letting his musky scent fill my nostrils. Running, I knew, would get me nowhere, even if it was physically possible, which it wasn't right now. I knew that Jared and the pack would protect me and the baby, even if it meant going through the Cullens to do it.

"What happened?" I heard Jasper ask, when my mind cleared enough to register my surroundings again.

A male voice answered, not as smooth as any of the Cullens, but still compelling. "I was right about Riley buying my story with me showing back up hurt," This must be the one Jasper had called 'Diego'.

"He tore your arm back off after you reattached it," a girl's voice hissed.

"And that was as far as it went. Could have been worse, kid," he told her. "He didn't rip me to shreds like he did Jim." I had to stifle a gag reflex. How could someone speak so calmly about almost getting killed? "I'm one of the oldest and most reliable, Bree. He wasn't going to cripple himself by killing me for good, not now."

"Keep going," Jasper ordered.

"He was gone all day today, don't know why. He came back right at dusk, and said our enemies—you, I guess he meant—had moved against us. Said our creator felt it was time we taught you a lesson. He grabbed everyone and said we were running west right then. Sent everyone straight into the Sound. Bree and I hung back, split off as soon as he wasn't looking."

"They're coming?" Emmett burst in.

"They're coming."

Instant chaos. It was hard to know who was growling, wolves or vampires or both. Jared's arms were tight around me, the only thing keeping me on my feet. Even though I'd known for months now that Victoria was after me, and known for days that she was using new vampires as her army, it was somehow different to know that she was coming right now with everything she had.

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Jared POV

Only the fact that I had Bella and our daughter in my arms kept me from going wolf. Even without it, I knew that pack had to be going crazy right now; so was I, when it came down to it. Sam's head would probably be ringing if he wasn't still human, too. My ears sure were, just from what the Cullens were saying.

"When?"

"Where? Alice, can you see anything?"

"Shut up!" Her face scrunched up, hands fisted in her spiky black hair. Suddenly, she went rigid. "Trees—mountains—the baseball meadow."

"When?" Alice's mate held her up as I did Bella.

"Soon. We've got to go now!"

Sam looked at us, but spoke to Drew. "Get Bella back to the others, then run the line. Shout if you see or smell anything."

"No, no, no!" My wife twisted in my arms; her panic was almost palpable through the imprint-bond.

"Bella, that's been the plan for a while now."

"They'll be in danger, too, just from being near me! I can't do that! I'm back and forth so much here there's practically a red carpet right to me. I need to hide, but not here. Drew can't protect me and everyone else at the same time, not by himself." She tried to twist in my embrace, but my hold was too firm to allow it.

"Bella," Jasper drew her attention. "Anywhere you go will have that 'red carpet'. They'll be able to hone in on the freshest scent, which will lead them straight to wherever you go now. Staying here is best for you. But I think you're right about Drew needing help."

Rosalie moved closer to us; her mate shadowed her, staying between the red-eyes and his wife. "I'll stay, if it's allowed. Then Jared could run sweeps with his brother."

"Sam? Would this be acceptable? Rosalie hasn't bitten anyone, not in nearly 80 years—your tribe would be safe with her." The doc, Carlisle spoke to Sam, leader to leader. I knew Sam had to be writhing at the idea of letting a vampire, even a Cullen, have access to the rez—his eyes told me as much. But we both knew that this vampire would do anything she possibly could to protect my Bella, and we'd need every wolf possible to fight tonight.

"Don't let us down," Sam warned her. "Drew, start running the line now. Jared, get Bella to the house and join him as fast as you can. Everyone else, move now!" He didn't bother with stripping, just phased and started running, the rest of the pack and the Cullens moving, too. Rosalie's mate stayed just long enough to kiss her roughly before following.

"This way," I told Rosalie, swinging Bella up into my arms and starting to jog-run back to Sam's. All of the lights were on, and the girls immediately appeared at the door when I got close. I set Bella on the top step, pressed her back into the support post, and kissed her like I never had before. I tried to impress every last bit of love I felt for her in that kiss. Spinning around, I let this pair of shorts shred, too, and ran.

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Rosalie POV

Bella gripped the post to stay upright as Jared disappeared. I stepped up next to her and put my arm around her waist. "Let's get you inside."

"And explain things," one of the other girls suggested. I recognized her as one who'd come by our house to pick Bella up on Tuesday, so this must be Sam's imprint, Emily. Once I'd gotten Bella to a chair at the kitchen table, Emily put a mug of hot, pungent tea in front of her. "What happened?" she asked Bella.

"They're coming: Victoria and the newborns. The pack and the Cullens went to stop them," Bella replied quietly.

"You're a Cullen, too, right?" Emily asked me. I nodded.

"Rosalie Hale." My name didn't seem to register with them, so I looked over at Bella.

"We didn't really say much. It's not our story, and we didn't know that you'd want us to."

"You're a vampire?" A young girl, the youngest one here, asked.

My mouth twisted. "Yes."

"Savannah," Bella chided.

"Sorry."

"This isn't a life I would have chosen, even though I found Emmett because of it."

"It's like the guys not wanting to be wolves, even though they've found their imprints as a result." Another girl spoke up this time. "I'm Kim, Embry's imprint." She and all the others here were clearly members of the tribe.

"Emily, and I'm Sam's.

"Rachel, Paul's.

"Daniel, Leah's"

"Savannah, and I'm Jacob's."

"My brother was an idiot." I realized.

"What for?" Bella asked me.

"For treating you the way he did, and for what he said about Savannah. I'm honestly surprised now that he didn't pay for it then and there."

"I'm sure they were tempted," Bella's dry reply surprised me. "Oh, you might want to let the others know to keep an eye on him. He might have a permanent end to his problems in mind."

"What?" I gaped.

"He hasn't shown himself to be all that willing to accept the reality of how things are now. Antagonizing the wolves like he has been…well, maybe he thinks death-by-wolf would be faster than taking a plane to Italy."

"Italy?" If this was what he'd meant about her unpredicability, I could understand Edward's occasional irritation.

"He once said that if anything happened to me, he'd go to Italy and provoke the Volturi to commit suicide."

"He'd do that to the family? To Esme? Like hell he will." I whipped out my phone and quickly texted Emmett a warning.

"Your phones work in the middle of the forest?"

"We've got satellite phones that work anywhere—Jasper has very good connections."

"Are they all out there?" Daniel wanted to know.

"Jared and his brother are running the treaty line, but everyone else headed to a meadow the newborns will have to run through—they're going to stop the army there."

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Jasper POV

"What are you going to do?" Esme asked the newborns, who'd started running along with us.

"What _can_ we do?" Diego asked in return. "I used to think Riley was a friend, but that's been pretty much shot to hell this last day or so. We'd already figured out Riley was at least mistaken about the sun-bit, and that we were being used for something; never thought it was really something like this. I don't like this, but I don't want to fight him. I just want to keep Bree out of it; myself, too."

"She's your mate, that's natural. And neither one of you has been trained for something like this. They wouldn't have wasted real instruction on a herd of newborns only meant to be a distraction through numbers." It wasn't surprising. Almost at the end of his newborn year, Diego was able to think. Self-preservation was going to be more important, as was protecting his new mate.

Even as we ran, Alice pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Here are some phone numbers; I wrote them down just in case I saw you again. The first set are for the Denali; they live in Alaska, and they follow the same animal diet we do. The other numbers are for Peter and Charlotte. They were newborns that Jasper changed decades ago. They drink from humans and wander around as nomads. Either family would welcome you if you want to try."

"Mates?" Bree squeaked.

"No time to explain right now. Peter and Charlotte, or Eleazar and Carmen of the Denali, can explain later," Carlisle replied. "If you're leaving, you should go now before this army gets close."

"Thank you. And good luck." Diego told us all. Then he grabbed Bree's hand and they split off from us. Their path would take them northwest, to Alaska perhaps. Only time would tell. Remarkably, the wolves let them go without reaction; I got the sense from them that they were focused on the immediate threat to Bella and not a potential threat that was leaving. Hopefully, those two newborns would have the sense not to come back here ever again.

When we got to the field, we all paused. Despite the impending attack, we were all briefly caught up in our memories of the last time we'd been here, when this whole nightmare had unknowingly begun. It bothered me that I hadn't picked up on the bond between James and Victoria, to even suspect that killing him would come back to metaphorically bite us like this.

"Any last advice, Jazz?" Emmett asked. I could tell that he was glad Rose wasn't going to be in the middle of this. I held Alice close, words unnecessary; everything I could ever say, she already knew. Her hand rose to tuck an errant lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Just remember what you've learned. Keep out of their reach and don't be predictable." I didn't raise my voice, knowing everyone could hear me anyway. We shifted until we stood in a loose line near the middle of the field, while the wolves hovered out of sight in the trees.

"They're coming," Edward said. With that, thoughts of anything other than battle were shoved down and locked away.

A handful of newborns emerged from the forest, running toward us wildly. We charged toward them, closing the distance between them and us quickly. The training we'd done paid off as one newborn after another tried to attack us, only to be blocked and laid low. Heads and limbs were separated from torsos and tossed onto pre-lit fires.

I looked around for another, only to realize there _wasn't _another. "This was too easy," I muttered. "There's no waythey could have gone from two dozen to a half-dozen in less than a day. And Victoria wasn't here. What's going on?"

Alice's scream had me whirling around, ready to pounce at the newborn menacing her. But there was no one there, only Alice caught in the grip of another vision. "Water! This was a trick, a diversion. They're in the water, heading to a beach, to La Push!"

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Chitakido = killers

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AN: I know, I know, I'm so mean to do 2 cliffhangers in a row. So sorry for that and for the semi-short chapter you've just gotten. This was a good breaking point, though; I wanted to get you something now, since it's been a month since the last update. Good news is that I do have ideas sketched out for the next chapter, so it shouldn't take me as long to get it cranked out. I think I've gotten over the worst of the writer's block hump, so I hopefully won't have this kind of problem again. **Unfortunately this chapter didn't come as soon as I wanted due to problems with the fanfiction site. So sorry, and believe me when I say I'm as upset/disappointed as you with that. Immense thanks to Mortissues for replying to my review of his/her story with a way around the error message so I could get this up.

Thanks again to all the reviewers, favorites, and alerts. I'd love to know what you think of this chapter.


	61. The Fight, Part 2

AN: Reviewer HP: Thanks, and you're welcome. Hope you enjoy.

FYI: There are a few profanities in this chapter. I'm not big on using them, as you've probably noticed, but the events in this chapter dictated them. I hope no one is too offended.

Sorry for two cliffies in a row—but at least I didn't leave you dangling for over a month this time, although several bouts of website issues and a tangle of writer's block kept this from coming any sooner than this. I really wanted the rest of the fight to live up to your expectations and my dreams. Also, thanks to mc7575 for once again giving me boosts and jumps. This chapter picks up immediately after the last chapter. So here it is: the fight part 2.

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From last chapter:

_A handful of newborns emerged from the forest, running toward us wildly. We charged toward them, closing the distance between them and us quickly. The training we'd done paid off as one newborn after another tried to attack us, only to be blocked and laid low. Heads and limbs were separated from torsos and tossed onto pre-lit fires._

_I looked around for another, only to realize there wasn't another. "This was too easy," I muttered. "There's no way they could have gone from two dozen to a half-dozen in less than a day. And Victoria wasn't here. What's going on?"_

_Alice's scream had me whirling around, ready to dismember the newborn menacing her. But there was no one there, only Alice caught in the grip of another vision. "Water! This was a trick, a diversion. They're in the water, heading to a beach, to La Push!"_

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Jasper POV

As soon as the words left Alice's lips, it all made sense. Victoria somehow knew about Alice's gift and had used it to her advantage. The newborns we'd just killed _had_ been a ruse; the rest were elsewhere, where we weren't. The torrent of emotions washing off the wolves nearly bowled me over. Every last one of them, even those without imprints, was going crazy with fear and worry. They were already tearing in the direction of their home, and the beach Victoria had to be aiming for.

"Move," I ordered the rest of my family. _Edward, what are the wolves thinking? We need to know if Sam has a plan._ He nodded and put the question to the wolves as we caught up to them.

"'Stop them' isn't much of a plan," Edward commented after a minute.

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Drew POV

I was still a bit mad that I wasn't in the thick of things, no matter what I'd said earlier about understanding why Sam was giving the order. I knew it was important, what I was doing here, but I still wanted to be with the others. I felt like I owed it to my big sister to help end it.

_She knows that, bro,_ Jared told me. _Where are you at now?_

_Coming up to the cliffs. You?_

_Hitting the middle of the line._ We'd split the line so that when one of us was at the far end of the line the other was at the middle. I skidded to a stop a few feet short of the drop-off. The moon was still a couple days away from being full, but there was enough light to cast a glow over the choppy waves below. I was about to turn and head back, when something teased the corner of my eye, making me squint for a closer look.

_Something's out there, _I reported.

_Fish? Whales?_

_Uh-uh. Oh, sh—oot. Hey, we've got a problem here!_

_What?_

_Heads in the water. I've got incoming here. Need a hand if anyone can spare it!_

_Shit!_ Sam swore, most of the other echoing him. I could feel them put on speed and knew they were coming. Hopefully it'd be in time.

_Drew, pull back. Don't be a hero!_ Jared was shouting mentally.

_So what? I just let them come?_

_No._ Sam cut in._ Don't just charge in, though. Jared, back him up. Seth, break off and get to your mom or one of the other elders, then get to the cabin and **stay there**!_

_Sam?_

_Jared, I need you in this fight. I **know** how much I'm asking, but you're one of the best I've got. You'll be protecting Bella better out with us than at the cabin._

_Sam…_

_You **will** fight, Jared. We will stop these bloodsuckers before they get anywhere close to anyone's imprint._

I tried to focus on watching bodies follow heads up out of the water, but I knew Jared had to be in hell right now: caught between the two imperatives in his life, to obey the Alpha and to protect his imprint.

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Seth POV

I raced through the forest, dodging trees like I was in a videogame, trying to channel Jake's super-speed. When I saw the trees thin out near town, I braked hard, phased into a diving roll and onto two feet, and whipped on my shorts without coming to a complete stop. Then I tore over the open ground and across the road, nearly getting swiped by a passing car that honked at me as it swerved. I didn't pay any attention and barged through my front door, calling, "Mom!"

"Seth?" she emerged from the kitchen, the squeak of Billy's wheelchair following her.

"They're coming here! Everyone else's heading to the beach to intercept—I'm going to Sam's."

"Evacuate?" Billy's voice was hard, focused, an elder focused on the safety of the tribe.

"Dunno. They decoyed once, might again. Gotta run—all the imprints are at Sam's."

"You can't—"

"I have to, mom. Alpha's orders. There's a Cullen there, too, so I'll have backup." I knew that she'd pull out all the mom-stops if I stayed, so I gave her a lightning-fast kiss on the cheek and split. As I made for the woods again, I briefly debated phasing for the run to Sam's, but it was so close it was hardly worth it, plus I didn't want to waste time with my shorts. And I'd only have to phase back again to fill the Cullen girl in, anyway. Like I figured, she heard me coming, moving to stand by the open window. I raced through my update, hearing her barely-audible (to me) hiss. When I'd finished with, "I'm going wolf to check in. Try not to let them worry," I abandoned my shorts to their fate.

_Sam?_

_Are you there?_ Worry. Determination. Anger.

_Just. Let the Cullen here know what I knew. Girls don't yet. What's new?_

A flood of images followed. Heads followed by bodies rising from the water. More than a dozen pairs of red eyes. Feet crossing the sand with no tracks, leap-frogging the rocks, bounding upward. Howls and growls echoing, wind whipping. Running, crashing. Screeching metallic ripping.

Brady and Collin double-teaming an Asian-looking leech just like we'd practiced, each gripping an arm in their jaws and pulling away. Sam biting the head off another gunning for Leah's back as she corkscrewed out of the way of one aiming for her leg. The big Cullen lifting one in a pro wrestling move and tearing him in half. The doc's wife getting a vamp-girl in a headlock so the doc could knock the head off.

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Rosalie POV

"Rosalie, is someone out there?" Damn_, _she was still too perceptive for her—or anyone's—good.

"Seth, apparently."

"Why? What's happened?" Bella's voice rose and everyone's attention was on me. The thing I hadn't said to this wolf: that Bella refused to be kept ignorant, was coming true anyway.

"They met and destroyed some of the newborns at the field. Victoria split her force up, so they're moving to get the rest of them."

"Are they okay?" Kim's fingers tightly gripped the rim of the bowl she was holding.

"Seth didn't say anything, so I'm sure they're all fine." Bella was starting to shake. The now-empty mug fell from her fingers to shatter on the wood floor. In a moment, I was at her side, hands on her shoulders. "Bella, I know trust is a hard thing to have right now, but you have to believe that things are under control." It didn't make me feel good to know I was imitating Edward and not telling her everything, but it didn't take a medical degree to know that getting too upset wasn't going to be beneficial to either Bella or her baby. It took no effort to lift Bella from her chair, carry her to the sofa, and cover her with a crocheted afghan. Savannah and Rachel sat on either side of her, a group effort at comfort.

I still didn't think she needed to know everything, but I could at least share a little more. "It seems someone on that side watched the _Pirates _movie, too." No one responded. The three girls on the couch kept sitting there. At the rate Bella was worrying at the light throw on her lap, Emily was going to end up with nothing more than a pile of yarn. Kim tried to resume washing dishes, and Daniel whittled at a stick with a pocketknife. Emily began baking. The smells were revolting—at least to me—but I could see how much she needed this distraction.

"They'll be okay, Bella," I broke the silence. "Don't doubt that. Everyone out there has people looking out for them. They'll be fine." Her dark eyes lifted and I saw the fear in them. Yet again, I cursed Edward for hurting her. If he hadn't, she wouldn't be so worried that her husband was out there.

The wolf here—Seth—seemed to pick up on her state of mind, or at least her accelerated respiration. He shifted back to human, staying outside where he was covered. "Bella, he's okay, I swear. The pack's fine, too."

Her breathing was still ragged and rapid. "Sorry, Sam," he muttered to the air. In a second, he had shorts on, was inside, and had Bella in a hug. "Shh, Bella. It's almost over. We'll get this ended tonight, I swear it."

I wasn't sure whether it was the words or the hug, but she did calm down. "Thanks, Seth."

"No problem, Bella. Looking out for a brother's imprint, you know."

"It's that important to you?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's probably the most important rule we live by—other than killing red-eyed vamps, of course."

I frowned, not seeing what he meant, so he elaborated. "Never harm another wolf's imprint. Or, to put it another way: protect any imprint. Bella's practically family anyway, so there's that, too. You okay for now?" he asked Bella, pulling back a little. "I ought to check back in, see if anything's changed."

"Sure."

Seth had barely reached the porch when a low howl echoed in the distance. "Crap," he growled, and dove to land in the yard, melting from human to wolf in the process even as the remnants of his jean shorts fluttered in the air.

"What's going on?" Bella' voice skirled upward again, and yet again I mentally cursed her uncanny perceptiveness.

"I don't know that anything is," I replied. "He's probably just getting a lecture about his little break."

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Jared POV

I felt like I'd gradually been going crazy over the course of this week. Not even the days right before my first phase had been this unsettling. And today alone had sent me swinging like a pendulum, fear to anger, passion to possessiveness.

Even though I knew Bella had to be terrified right now, especially if she'd managed to maneuver someone into filling her in on the most recent developments, I couldn't even feel guilty about how jazzed I was to be in this fight; I wasn't going to complain, though, that Sam had made it an order. The pack had hung back during the first fight, in the meadow. The Cullens' strategist thought we'd be a great surprise weapon once the newborns had committed themselves, and none of us had minded letting the Cullens take the first wave. Connected as we were through our pack mind, I'd—we'd—felt a chill burn through us when Jasper had said what we'd just started thinking about the newborns' numbers. And then the psychic had that vision…and Drew had looked down from the cliff… everyone lit out for that spot like the demons from hell were on our tails, only the demons weren't behind us, they were in front, heading straight for everything we held most precious. Being closest, I made it first, swinging alongside my little brother as he moved away from the cliff's edge.

_They're coming!_

_And we'll stop them._ I was adamant on that; tonight, this was all going to end.

_Got your back, bro_. Paul shot up next to me, the rest of the pack appearing, and the Cullens, too. Jasper was lethal as he protected his mate, not that she really looked like she needed the help. Alice Cullen was a gymnast, letting a leech chase her, only to do some kind of air-flip over Embry, who took the newborn down.

Vampire parts began to litter the ground, creating obstacles to jump over. I launched myself toward one newborn after another, letting all the rage I felt guide each twitch of my muscles. Arms, chunks of torso, heads…one vampire after another died permanently by my teeth or claws.

"They're trying to make a run for it," Edward Cullen shouted, pointing to where two newborns were indeed trying to escape. "Emmett, Carlisle, get them."

With the fight winding down, Esme and Alice got fires lit, and we started dragging over bits and pieces to get burned. Carlisle and Emmett Cullen returned each carrying a stone corpse. Jasper kept count as the newborns roasted. "Shit, we're missing four."

"She wasn't here, Riley either." Edward Cullen had been looking at faces—at least those that still existed. It was a punch to my gut at the forcible reminder that none of the vampires we'd just killed had Victoria's signature red hair. Why hadn't I realized that sooner?

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Edward POV

I was neither a strategist like Jasper, nor a psychic like Alice. My brief, and demonstrably futile, attempt to track Victoria earlier this year also proved I wasn't a tracker either. I racked my brain trying to figure out what Victoria might be planning to try next. With most of her army destroyed, she had to know she wasn't going to win this. Was she just trying to escape the way she always did? She had to know she wasn't going to get another shot at this—would she really just run? I didn't think so; this was her one and only chance to get revenge for her mate's death. What wasn't I seeing?

"Warn Seth," I ordered. Speaking rapidly, I added, "She knows it's over. Victoria's going to strike the worst blow she can—she's going to devastate the wolves and go after their imprints. She must have figured out the line isn't being guarded now—may have been counting on that with these diversions."

The Alpha's head threw back and a deep pained howl echoed around us.

"Sam, we want to help, if you'll let us." Carlisle spoke urgently.

_Emily. Bella. Kim. Rachel. Savannah. Claire. Daniel. Dad. Mom. Fine._

I dove into their minds, pulling the location of Sam's cabin. I then pulled out every ounce of my incredible speed, easily outdistancing everyone else. Leaving the border area behind, I plunged into the depths of the Quileute Reservation. The stench was overwhelming, evidence of the wolves' thorough patrols.

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Seth POV

I did another on-the-fly phase off the porch, shredding Sam's shorts in the process.

_Sorry, Sam. Bella was starting to freak out,_ I rushed.

_Shut up, Seth! You've got incoming. Four, probably. Get that vamp-girl outside now! We're all coming—Edward Cullen'll get there first._

_Protect them!_ The cacophony of fear from my brethren was beyond intense, but I had to ignore it. There were newborns coming, and until the others got here, it was just Rosalie and me between these newborns and every imprint and member of the tribe.

Every one of my muscles was tensed, my nose and ears wide open. I growled very low and soft, _Hey blondie, get out here._ I don't know if she actually somehow understood me, or if she just heard and smelled them, too, but she was out on the porch. I could hear the door shutting and the snick of the never-used lock.

"What's going on?" she hissed. "Are the others coming?"

_Figure it out for yourself! No way in hell I'm phasing back to explain things._

"Well, well. A guard dog." A female voice cooed. If things hadn't been so serious, I'd've laughed: this Victoria sounded like a little girl!

"Are you that eager to die, Victoria?" Rosalie sneered. The redhead almost jumped; she'd been so focused on me it was like she hadn't realized one of her own kind was here, too.

"You!" Victoria dropped into a crouch.

"Yes, us." Edward Cullen blurred into the clearing. Victoria froze in place. "Three more coming," he bit out to his sister and me.

I spun in a circle, straining to hear or smell anything new.

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Edward POV

"You won't get away, Victoria!" Her hair tossed wildly as she frantically sought a way out. I regretted yet again the baseball game that had started all of this, and especially that I hadn't picked up on the bond between her and James, which might have prevented so much of the danger Bella had faced this year.

"First he chases Jasper's mate, then he chases mine…James sure showed a preference for anyone's mate except his own." I knew these words would enrage her, but I wanted her attention focused on me and not on the occupants of the cabin only feet away.

She hissed at me and her thoughts were incoherent with fury: _James—kill—mate—kill_.

"You're a liar," a new voice hissed. I darted a quick glance his way; it was Riley Biers, altered but still recognizable from his 'Missing Person' flyer, the once-local youth gone missing last year, who had apparently become the front for Victoria's army. It didn't take Jasper's talent to know he was obsessed with her or that she felt nothing for him.

"She's just using you, Riley," I replied. "She just wants revenge on us for killing her mate a year and a half ago. All those newborns you recruited…even you…all just pawns in her game." He snarled at me, his thoughts reflexively denying any possibility of truth in my words.

"It's not true, Riley," she told him, as her eyes continued to seek a way out.

"She couldn't care less what happens to you," I hammered my point in. "Not even if you get ripped to shreds and burned, just like I did to James."

"Kill them!" Victoria's high-pitched voice demanded of Riley and her two remaining newborns. With another whirl of flaming hair, she used the cover provided by the newborns to dash away. With a snarl of my own, I pursued.

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Bella POV

I could hear someone, maybe Kim, falling apart behind me, but couldn't bring myself to look and see. All my attention was focused on what I could see of the action outside. Finally, I understood why Edward had reacted the way he had last year when I'd asked about watching him hunt—Rosalie was absolutely lethal as she whipped her body toward the two newborns. She grabbed hold of one, ripping off his head. As his body dropped, the other reached for Rosalie, and with a metallic screech, he bit her. Something, I think it was her arm, went flying into the darkness.

"Rose! You bastard!" Emmett roared, plowing into the newborn, pulverizing him into dust.

The other vampire I could see, the one Edward had called Riley, crouched low and leaped toward the cabin, toward me. Seth reacted with a desperate lunge, managing to catch him around one ankle. Somehow, though, the vampire used the grip as leverage to flip his body over and get his arms around Seth's body. A hard squeeze, and Seth gave an agonized howl. More wolves were there in a flash—each grabbing hold of part of the vampire. Three vicious tugs later, and only a pile of vampire parts remained. Seth had phased back human—from the pain, I guessed, and was collapsed naked on Emily's porch. His screams were just as pain-filled as his howls had been.

I couldn't see any more threats, but even if there were, I needed Jared. I fumbled with the lock and pulled the door open with a jerk. "Jared!"

"Bella? Bella!" My eyes frantically whipped around trying to find him. I could hear him saying my name again, but in all the chaos I couldn't see him yet.

"Jared?" Before panic was even a glimmer of an idea, he was here, on the porch, with me. I had only a split second to look at him before his arms were around me and lifting me up. My legs wrapped around his waist without my conscious command for the maneuver. Our lips met in a fierce affirmation of our reunion. I didn't even feel Jared move until the porch post pressed up against my back for the second time tonight. I did feel one of his hands shift to support my weight from below and the other run up my side and into my hair. I had absolutely no control over the moan when his lips left mine and began ghosting over my jaw and neck, or the one when his teeth just barely grazed the spot where my neck and shoulder met. Rather, my head tilted back, seeking more of that delicious contact.

"Jared—" I somehow gasped. I didn't—couldn't—resist, and didn't want to. Jared and his wolf had to have endured so much tonight, and had to need this as much as I did. However, Emmett's loud "Go, Bella!" abruptly reminded me that we had an audience and that finishing this in private would be better. Reality further intruded when I remembered, "Seth!" He was hurt and needed help. Jared squeezed me tight once more, then set me carefully down and helped me walk over to where Seth lay.

The girls had followed me and I gratefully used their help to get down to my knees next to Seth, one hand reaching out to touch his forehead. The porch and yard were filled with now-human wolves, some with shorts inside-out or on backward. Every last one of them was trying to stand as close to their imprint as possible.

"Leah, run for your mom—we need her," Sam ordered. "Easy, Seth," he soothed, as Leah bolted off. "Be easy, we're getting you some help. Em, some kind of pain reliever, ice pack, something." I felt Emily move away.

"Shh, Seth," I tried to soothe him, tried in some way to let him know how grateful and sorry I was—grateful that he'd defended me and sorry he'd gotten so hurt doing it. "I'm so sorry—"

"I'll be okay, Bella. Don't worry," he tried to tell me.

I still thought it was my fault, but I wasn't going to make things worse for Seth by trying to argue that now. Especially now that it was over. It was over—wasn't it? "Sam? Where is she? What happened? Did she get away again?"

"She's dead, Bella. It's over." It was Carlisle, Edward behind him. "May we help, Sam?" Sam obviously fought his instincts a second, then moved back to give Carlisle room. Vampire-hands moved lightly and confidently over the young werewolf's arms, shoulders, and torso. Remarkably, Seth quieted and even sighed in relief. Carlisle looked up and met Sam's eyes. "The bones on the right side of his body are shattered. They're already starting to heal, but they're in the wrong places."

"What does that mean?" I jumped. I could believe now that Leah was right up there with Jake as the fastest in the pack, if she was back so soon.

"It means the bones have to be re-broken and set properly or he'll be crippled for life."

A revving car engine cut through the night air, a squeal of brakes, and Sue was out of her car and running to her son. "Seth, baby."

"'m okay, mom. Doc's gonna fix me up, right?" Seth gamely put on a good face for Sue—which would have been more believable if his teeth weren't gritted against the pain.

"If you agree, Sam, we should move him inside and I'll do what I can," Carlisle said.

"Here, Carlisle," Alice chirped as she and Jasper suddenly appeared, a black medical bag in her hand.

"I'd like to give Seth some morphine for the pain before he's moved. It ought to help some, but I admit I'm flying blind."

"Help him." Sue was resolute. Carlisle prepped the injection and administered it. The tension in Seth's body eased off as the drug obviously had an effect.

"Woosh, that's good stuff," Seth breathed.

"Guys," Sam said. Paul, Embry, Quil, Jake, and Drew moved to join him, lifting Seth carefully to waist-level, two each holding him at his head, middle, and feet. Jared helped me up and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"We got you buddy," Paul murmured.

Animal grace got them inside and to the bed in the guest bedroom. Most everyone left for either the living area or back outside, but I only retreated as far as a chair in the corner. I knew Jared needed to hold me right now—and I needed him to, if I was honest about it. Emily and Sam were against the wall, clinging to each other just like Jared and I were, Leah and Daniel beside them.

"Seth, I know this will hurt, but I have to do this. It will help." Carlisle spoke with calm authority.

"'kay, doc."

"Edward, I could use your help, if you're able." The words directed toward the open window brought a swift answer as he appeared in the doorway.

"Stay away from my brother, leech," Leah hissed, tensing in Daniel's embrace.

"Edward has two medical degrees, and with his ability to read minds, he'll know what I need done as soon as I think it," Carlisle tried to reason with her.

"What happened to Victoria?" I asked.

"Bella, she's gone. You don't need to worry about her anymore." Edward moved to Carlisle's side as he spoke to me.

"Edward, what I _need_ is to know how this ended. You say she's dead for good, great. But I need more than that. I'm not a helpless human that needs to be protected from everyone; I'm a pissed-off human who needs to know what happened so I can believe that this is finally over."

"I need to help Carlisle with Seth."

_Oh, no, you're not going to get out of this._ "You're a vampire—you can multitask."

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I really hope this came out right. The end portion of this chapter gave me fits for days. Thanks again to everyone for your support and interest in the story. I'm very grateful to my 304 total reviewers (and your 1,703 reviews), the 17 super-reviewers who've commented on at least half the chapters, and the 1,135 favoriters/alerters. I love knowing that so many people love this story as much as I do. As an FYI: I send a tease for the next chapter to everyone who submits a signed review.

Yippee for the new Twilight Guide finally coming out. Absolutely love the family trees and seeing how our beloved wolves are related to each other. I have noticed the revelation of some previously unknown last names for the wolves, which obviously aren't the last names I gave them in this story. I don't plan on making any changes here, but will probably do so if I post this story elsewhere.

I've put a new poll on my profile page, to see what your preference is for my next story after this one. We're not there yet, as there's still more to go here, but I'd like to start getting some ideas. I've put a new "story" up called Possibilities, which contains three story-starters. One's Bella/Sam, another is Bella/Embry, and the other is a wolf POV of Breaking Dawn. I hope you'll take a look at them, then vote for your favorite. If the stars align properly, then the top vote-getter will be the one I'm most inspired to work on next. I do plan to get to all of them at some point, so please be patient if your favorite isn't the first one I do.


	62. Loose Ends

AN: Thanks for all the responses to the last chapter. I would like to take a moment to apologize if there was any confusion at the end of #61: THE STORY'S NOT OVER YET! Just 'cause the vamp business is about wrapped up doesn't mean there isn't a lot more to share. I know the broad outlines of what will happen over the rest of the story (however long that ends up being), and see things going through the baby's birth—I do owe it to you to say what she's named after having the naming polls earlier on—and probably an epilogue, too. I promise that things won't end till this story is marked 'complete' on my profile page.

Oh, I went back and added a little bit to the end of the last chapter, so check that out. Realized I'd left a little imprint stuff out that needed to be included. Hope you like that and this new chapter as well. Sorry this took a while to get out: I had a ton of school reading to do and a big and a small paper to write. But the semester is over now, and I finally got some characters to talk to me. Here it is now.

Red Ink of Life: Thanks.

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From last chapter:

"_What happened to Victoria?" I asked._

"_Bella, she's gone. You don't need to worry about her anymore." Edward moved to Carlisle's side as he spoke to me._

"_Edward, what I need is to know how this ended. You say she's dead for good, great. But I need more than that. I'm not a helpless human that needs to be protected from everyone; I'm a pissed-off human who needs to know what happened so I can believe that this is finally over."_

"_I need to help Carlisle with Seth." _

_Oh, no, you're not going to get out of this. "You're a vampire—you can multitask."_

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Edward POV

Bella's voice was filled with irritation, and it wasn't necessary to read her mind to know that she would accept nothing less than a complete answer.

"Help Seth and start talking," she demanded.

_The hands are most sensitive,_ Carlisle reminded me. _I think it would be best to start there and work toward the torso. And, please, give her the answers she needs._

I moved forward until I was standing beside Carlisle. After administering another injection of morphine, he nodded to me, and we began. The first shift of bone brought an immediate and ear-piercing scream from Seth. Bella gasped, the wolves flinched, and Seth's mother moaned.

"Em, hold Sue," Sam told his fiancée. He moved to the other side of the bed than ours and took Seth's hand. "Squeeze as hard as you need to."

"Edward…" Bella was even more annoyed than before; if her feet could have reached the floor, she would have been tapping them. "Why did she run? She can't have given up?"

"No, she hadn't given up. What her next plan might have been, I don't know—she wasn't thinking about that, only about escaping. Jasper was right about that being her gift. She wasn't as fast as me, but desperation certainly gave her a boost…"

(flashback)

_Bella is safe now,_ I thought. So long as Victoria was running away, she wasn't moving toward Bella. I knew the wolves and my family would take care of the last newborns in seconds, so Bella would be safe now.

_Run… run…escape…hide…get away…danger…escape…threa_t…_run…_

Victoria's thoughts were panicked, nothing more than a mantra to get away, to escape the danger pursuing her and find safety. _Could that be how it works? Is her gift tied to a sense for danger?_ If it were true, then chasing her would be no more successful for me now than it had been last year. _She sees a threat, she runs…_

So I stopped. "Why run, Victoria?" I asked, knowing she could still hear me. "Will it bring James back? Will it give you the revenge you've sought? And for what? He didn't love you; you were useful to him, yes, and your devotion appealed to his ego, but he didn't love you—he just used you."

"Liar!" And there she was.

"Am I? I read his mind while he was tracking us, while I was fighting him. He cared only for himself and the hunt. Look how easily he left you behind to track Bella and Alice: two little females he'd found and become fascinated with." I knew I was pushing her, hurting her—I wanted it. If I could enrage her enough, then perhaps she'd turn her wrath away from my innocent Bella and toward the object that rightfully deserved it: me. It truly was an elegant solution: Victoria would have her revenge for the death of her mate, and I would find peace from the loss of mine.

(end flashback)

"There honestly isn't much to it, really." I continued. "I taunted her so she stopped running. She was distracted and torn apart. Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper caught up then and helped burn her."

"Taunted her, huh? Just so she'd stop running? You sure you weren't hoping she'd end things for you? Are you that much of a masochist that you'd hurt your family that way? Devastate Esme and make her lose another son?"

If I could have flushed, I would have at Bella's words. Why was she doing this? Baring my secret like this? How had she even known? "Bella?" I asked, as Carlisle broke another of Seth's bones. The boy screamed again, and I moved automatically to numb the area with my hand.

"I know you, Edward. Better than you knew me, it seems. Don't you remember? _Romeo and Juliet_? 'Something you had to consider once'? What? Was Italy too far away? The pack too considerate of me to put you out of your misery?"

"Why are you doing this, Bella?" I couldn't help the plea.

Her lips curved in a smile that was reminiscent of Rosalie. "Let's say I'm doing it for your own good."

_My Bella would never speak to me so,_ I thought. _But she's not your Bella anymore, is she?_ The monster inside me countered. _You truly __**didn't**__ know her at all._ It wasn't a point I could argue, considering the display I'd witnessed outside earlier.

The breaking and screaming continued. Eventually, Emily had to run from the room. The others remained, until Carlisle finally said, "It's over now, Seth. You did well."

"Bella?" he whispered. Jared helped her to stand and walk over to the bed.

"I'm here, Seth." She sat down on the edge of the bed, clearly trying not to jostle him.

"I'm okay, you're okay, so no big deal, alright?"

"No big deal? You threw yourself at a vampire for me!"

"Yeah, I'm the big bad wolf, huh?" Seth grinned as the latest injection of morphine began to rush through his veins.

"Sue?" Carlisle addressed Seth's mother. "His body temperature is burning the morphine off very quickly. I think he'd do better if I set up a drip. Will you permit that?"

She struggled for a moment; her reasons for hating us equaled Sam's: her husband had died when her two children became wolves. "Yes." Another moment. "Thank you."

"He's a very brave young man. I'm glad I was able to help him."

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I had thought that being peppered by teenage thoughts for decades was bad enough, but the range of thoughts being emitted by the wolves far surpassed anything I'd experienced before. Once Carlisle released me from assisting him, I headed outside to try and clear both my nose and my head. As the young wolves went inside to sit with Seth, the older wolves emerged to join their imprints. Jasper literally swayed from the force of their emotions, and their thoughts were similarly overwhelming to me. Most of them were wishes for us to be gone, so they could find privacy—and beds. Embry was comforting Kim, who'd evidently had a normal reaction to our kind and panicked. Quil had run off as a wolf, a refrain of "Claire, Claire, Claire," filling his head. The rest were as close together as decency allowed—and even closer in Paul and Rachel's case. Pilfering their thoughts, I learned that she was 21 and he was 17—better than the 13 year age difference between Quil and Claire, but still…

Sam and his Emily finally left the house, followed by Bella and Jared. She finally seemed to be emerging from the eerie calm she'd shown since our arrival here tonight. Bella stopped in her tracks and began subjecting Jared to intense scrutiny.

"Seth's fine now, so what about you?" She demanded. "Any bumps, bruises, cuts, broken bones…?"

"I'm fine, Bella," Jared told her. "Pissed that they got so close to you, but fine, now."

"Just _fine_?" She moved closer to him and pulled his head down. A moment later, the only thing I could register was a dizzying whirl. I was brought back by the humanly-audible thunk of Jared's head against the log wall of the house. Bella again asked him, "_Just fine_?"

"So chid washitli tikto'wa?" he groaned. The Quileute's snorted or laughed; Bella just smiled.

"What does that mean?" Emmett asked from the yard, where he held a now-restored Rose in his arms.

"Trying?" Bella seemed to be replying to Jared rather than Emmett. "I think I'd say _succeeding_."

"At what?" Emmett whined.

"Driving him crazy," Bella purred, again pressing herself close to Jared. I was no more prepared this time than I had been before for the wash of emotions being emitted. _This is just the two of them?_

_Sorry, Edward_, Jasper apologized silently. _I tried, but they're just so…_

_I know, Jasper. I do see that now._

"Emily, hide the oranges," Jacob begged.

Bella and Jared ended their kiss to exchange a sly smile. "You have no idea," she told her friend. I did my best to block Jared's inevitable recall of that memory with a recitation in the original Russian of "War and Peace", but saw more than either they or I would have liked. No idea, indeed. My unwilling eavesdropping finally brought home in a way nothing else had before that Bella was a married woman—a wife in every sense, and no longer the idealized maiden I'd seen her as. She truly was living the life I'd said I wanted her to have. I could admit—if only to myself—that I bitterly envied Jared Mahan—the more so because I knew I could so easily have been in his place if only I hadn't been so stubborn and self-righteous, so certain that I knew better than Bella what was best for her. It seemed that this was to be my punishment, my eternal suffering for what I was and what I'd done: to know that Bella would never be mine and having only myself to blame for it.

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Emmett POV

Rosalie's elbow in my ribs was a definite command to not say what I was thinking. Nothing she could do about my bugged-out eyes, though. Man, little Bella sure had grown up. She and that wolf of hers were in the middle of another hot makeout session, and obviously couldn't care less about having an audience.

"Seth might be more comfortable in his own bed tonight," Jasper suggested. His eye-roll at all the couples around said why. I certainly couldn't blame them—Rosie and I were going to have a _long_ stretch of couple time just as soon as she was up for it.

Carlisle nodded. "Emmett, could you carry him back to his house? I'm going to run home for the supplies for the morphine drip. Edward, please help Rosalie."

Seth's mom stepped up. "I think we have a lot to discuss. Is a meeting tomorrow agreeable?" She looked at everyone, us and the wolves.

Sam nodded. "We'll call to set the time and place."

"We're at your disposal," Carlisle replied. He gestured, and the rest of the family left with him. I followed Sam inside his cabin to get Seth.

"Not what you're used to?" Sam snorted as he led me down a short hallway.

"Not like our usual digs, no. But this is more like home to me than anyplace we've lived in the last 70 years."

"You lived in a cabin like this? Where? In the Old West?" The kids sitting with Seth shot off questions.

"Nah. Tennessee. Smoky Mountains in the 1930's." I put a real Southern drawl into it. _Man, Jazz and I have to do this more often!_ "Just like the Beverly Hillbillies when they were just the hillbillies." I turned more serious now. "Seth, thanks."

"'s nothin'."

"Yes it is. You helped Bella and my Rose. That makes it a big deal. Now, up we go." I lifted gently and followed everyone back outside.

"Drew, show him the way, okay?" Sam had his arms around Emily again. "Everyone else, go home. We'll talk tomorrow."

Jared's little brother led me through the woods. "Hillbilly, huh?"

"Yeah. Till I tangled with a bear one day. He won."

"A bear? They've got vampire bears?" Seth grinned up at me.

"Ha-ha. Nah. He just tore me up. Rosie found me getting chewed on when she was out hunting. Carried me back to Carlisle for him to help me. A hundred miles and me bleeding out in her arms. I thought I was being carried to heaven by an angel. Then I thought I was burning in hell—I knew I deserved it, bein' a rebel-rouser like I was. But when I woke up, she was still there. We got married a few years later—do it again every decade or so."

"Why?" Drew asked, leaving the woods ahead of me and checking for cars before leading the way across the road.

"Rosie likes being the center of attention, and Alice loves playing wedding planner."

"Bet she's mad she missed out on Bella's."

"Oh, yeah. She's about pullin' her hair out 'cause she doesn't even know what the dress looked like."

"Nice," Seth said.

"Better than nice," Drew snorted. "Jared took one look at her and tried to meet her halfway down the aisle. Sam had to pull him back."

I couldn't help laughing at what it must have looked like, but made sure to keep my arms steady so Seth didn't get jostled. His mom was waiting for us at the front door, and Drew pointed me down the hall to Seth's room. I'd just gotten him settled on the bed when Carlisle got there. He hooked the drip over the curtain rod, gave Seth a once-over, and we headed for home.

"Rosalie is fine, Emmett," he assured me. "There _will_ be a scar, but it won't be too bad."

I didn't think she'd mind, honestly. As vain as Rosalie appeared to be to others, she did have a kind and caring heart. Given that she'd gotten the scar from defending Bella, I thought she'd see it as a badge of honor and not something to be ashamed of.

"Carlisle? You think Bella was right? Was Eddie trying to—?" I couldn't even make myself say it.

My adopted dad sighed heavily. "Emmett, I don't know. I'm not sure what happened out there before Alice, Jasper, and I found him. Alice didn't See anything—at least she says she didn't. It's hard to say if Victoria's decisions might have been countering Edward's, or maybe they weren't making any decisions, or perhaps the wolves would have gotten involved….I don't know."

"So what we gonna do?"

"Wrap things up here, and try to get Edward to come home with us. Then, we'll just have to see."

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Bella POV

I woke in the morning, both exhausted and energized; exhausted because we hadn't gotten much sleep after 'celebrating', and exhilarated because it was finally over, the storm passed, the threat gone. I decided I wasn't going to push for more answers than I'd already gotten from Edward. I didn't really need them and it wasn't worth it, anyway. I just wanted to take the final steps to put all this behind me for good.

After the Cullens had left last night, and Sam had dismissed the pack, we'd all stood for just a minute, as if we were all trying to believe it was really real. Then…couples started disappearing. It didn't take a mindlink to know what they were going to be up to soon—what _I _expected to be doing soon. I looked at Jared, sure he'd be thinking the same thing, to see that he was looking at Jake.

"Don't do anything I'll have to beat you up for later," Jared commanded, eyes flickering between Jake and Savannah. "And don't get caught." With that, Jared had me up in his arms, racing for home. Inside, he had me lifted up, pressed against the now-closed door. My arms and legs wrapped around him for support, but I still felt like I was flying. The couch…the shower—wow—the bedroom… Energy and passion crackled through the air—through us—like the heart of a storm. A storm I couldn't escape and didn't want to. How had we gotten so lucky? To have faced so much and survived it all?

I sighed and stretched, then moved my free hand to follow my baby's echoing movement. "We're fine now, sweetie," I cooed in a whisper.

"Are you?" Jared's sleep-roughened voice asked. "Ayasochid, hach Bella?" He rolled onto his side and propped one arm under his head.

"I'm fine. I'm better than fine. Don't you remember? I wanted more—wanted you—and I always will." Tugging my other hand free of his, I brought both of them up to frame his face.

"As much as I want you?"

"Yeah." And I knew just how to prove it. "Don't move."

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Jared POV

I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to have enough, but we now had all the time in the world to find out. I reluctantly left Bella in the bedroom while I went to scrounge something for us to eat. When I got back, she was just coming out of the bathroom. I set the tray down and reached for my cell phone—I was sure we'd ignored a few calls this morning. We had.

"Give Sam a call," Bella told me, peeling her banana and taking a bite. "Let's find out when we're wrapping up the last few loose ends."

After stealing another kiss, I did as my lovely wife suggested.

"Hey, Sam. What's the plan?"

"Hey, Jared. Not a word, got it?"

"I won't if you don't. So?"

"Early this evening. Apparently the doc's wife wants to cook us dinner."

"Esme's a good cook," Bella interjected. "So it's going to be at their house?"

"They were here yesterday, so it seemed only fair. Plus, it'll be easier for Billy and Old Quil—neither one's really up for a long hike through the woods."

"Fine, Sam. We'll see you at five. Bye." Bella snapped my phone closed. "Let's have lunch."

_I love this woman!_

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Bella POV

I wasn't sure exactly what I was thinking as we drove up to the Cullen house for the last time. Actually, I did know. I was remembering the first time I'd been here, the day I'd met Esme for the first time, and seen how they lived. There had been so many normal, enjoyable days before that last, terrible one, the 18th birthday party I'd never wanted. And then there were the visits of the last week. I had so many mixed emotions about those. Relief that I'd finally gotten answers, mixed with confusion that those answers still didn't make sense. Surprise that Rosalie wasn't what I'd thought her to be, but disappointment that Edward was the same as ever. I wasn't sorry that they'd come back, though, and not just because of the help they'd been to the pack in eliminating Victoria and her newborns. I was getting the chance to say goodbye that had been denied to me last year.

"You ready for this?" Jared asked me the same question he had the first time we'd driven her, just one week ago tomorrow.

"Yeah. I just want to get this over with." He circled the car to come and help me out. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

We joined the elders, pack, and somewhat surprisingly the imprints in the Cullens' driveway. Carlisle and Esme waited on the porch, just as they had last week. Sam took the lead, followed by the elders and flanked by the pack. Jared and I came behind with the imprints.

"Our elders, Billy Black, Quil Ateara III, and Sue Uley Clearwater. The leaders of the Cullen Coven, Carlisle and Esme." Sam's introductions were brief.

"We have a meal prepared around back." Carlisle led the way along the porch that wrapped around the entire house. Esme had clearly outdone herself. I was glad to know that this time, it wouldn't be wasted effort—the pack never put Emily in the position of dealing with leftovers.

The Cullens sat in their usual pairings while we ate, with Edward a little off to one side.

"Bella?"

Sigh. "Yes, Alice?"

"Please, please, tell me about your wedding?" Her hands were clasped under her chin in a pleading pose. I'd known this was probably going to happen—Drew and Seth had told us what Emmett said last night. Jared leaned down and picked up my purse, from which I pulled the thin DVD case. Alice accepted it with the reverence reserved for precious relics. Jasper disappeared briefly, returning with a laptop, setting it where everyone could see the screen.

"Phil shot the video. Ben did the editing and gave it to me as a birthday gift," I said.

"Oooo," Alice gasped when she finally saw my gown. "That was perfect for you, Bella."

"That's what I thought when I tried it on at the store."

Emmett burst out laughing when he saw Jared's reaction. "You're toast, you know that?" he chortled.

"I've known that since the first moment I saw her. Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Seems like a fun party," Jasper commented at the end of the reception video, ejecting the disc from the computer and handing it back to me.

"It was."

"Have you had enough to eat?" Esme asked.

"We're good," Sam replied for everyone. "Should we get down to business?"

"If you like," Carlisle agreed.

"As we understand, you came back out of concern for Bella's well-being, and the situation in Seattle. Correct?" Billy began.

"Yes. We stayed to help because, as your young men pointed out, it was our involvement in Bella's life last year that primarily led to the danger she has faced. We did not know the full circumstances related to the events surrounding our departure last September, and our aid was also an attempt to make amends."

"Hmmph," Old Quil didn't seem too impressed. His cane tapped an idle rhythm on the porch floor.

"What do you want us to do?" Carlisle asked.

"Leave and don't come back. Ever." Sue's voice was hard.

"But—"

"Do you know what you've done to them?" I snapped. "Forget about me—what about them?" My arm flung outward to where the rest of the pack was sitting. "Sam had to forfeit a college scholarship when he phased. Leah got her heart broken and had to face it all day every day. Emily got hurt. Embry had everything he believed about himself turned on its head. Jared, Kim, and Rachel have had to put plans on hold. Every last one of the pack has lost the innocence of youth to running patrols, sleepless nights, the imperative to protect their entire tribe. Having to keep secrets from parents, siblings, and friends. All this and more because you just had to live in a place where you could live 'normal' lives."

"We didn't know," Edward said, softly.

"Then, no. You said before that your family investigated before moving back and thought the pack was gone. But now you do know how it works, that your presence triggers theirs. You think this is what Old Quil wanted for his grandson? What Billy wanted for his son? Or Sue for her kids?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, but your need to play human isn't worth the price this tribe has to pay, now or a few generations from now. I know you aren't deliberately responsible for the genetic quirk that causes phasing, but this isn't something I want my future sons to face, or my grandsons, or great-grandsons, or anyone else. And I know the others feel the same way. Please, stay away."

"You're right, Bella. While we didn't know before, we do know now. Inflicting suffering on this tribe because of our personal desires is selfish. It won't be repeated. We'll close the house up for good tonight, and I'll make arrangements to try and sell the property." Carlisle's hands came up to rub his face and run back through his hair. "I am sorry."

"It hasn't all been bad," Jared offered, tugging me down onto his lap. "Can't argue with the sex appeal, or with the imprints we've found. But Bella's right, there's a lot about this that we've hated. It's such a relief to know that we can finally have normal lives of our own now, worry about ordinary things instead of taking out vampires."

"Bella?"

"Yes, Rosalie?"

"Do you think you could call me when your baby's born, just so I know she's arrived safely?"

"Sure."

"And, maybe, what you name her?"

Jared fielded that one. "I think we can do that. Least we can do in exchange for your help."

We stood up to leave. One by one, the Cullens approached to give me a hug and another soft apology, until only Edward was left. He stayed where he was, but did look me in the eyes. "There's nothing I can say, Bella. My pride and arrogance are responsible for so much. You have the life you were meant to have and what I wanted for you. Be happy."

"You try to do the same." And with that, we left. I knew this would be the last time I ever saw them, and that didn't bother me. I had so much to look forward to in the future, and the Cullens were a part of my past.

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So chid washitli tikto'wa? = Are you trying to drive me crazy?

AN: This is STILL not the end. More to come when I've had a chance to do a little more specific outlining.


	63. Transition

AN: Sorry for the delay in replying to early reviews. Seems that a site issue/maintenance work was responsible. Well, Victoria is dead and the Cullens are gone, so Bella and Jared should only have normal stuff to worry about. Hope you like. Reviews are food to my soul and very inspirational—plus they give you an advance look at the next chapter.

Twilightfan1601: Glad you liked the chapter, and I tried to get this up as quickly as I could. Thanks for the suggestion. I already have the baby's name picked out, so you'll have to wait and see when Bella and Jared "choose" and if/when they decide to tell anyone.

Tinkerbell123: Thank you. I'll try to work more on this story very soon

Lil-Blood-Sucker: Thanks. That line just popped out, like the best lines tend to do. Sorry I couldn't reply directly and give you the tease, but the site is only letting me do review replies as PMs right now.

Kmae: Thank you very much.

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Jared POV

I woke up early on Monday morning, before remembering that I didn't have to today. Since Victoria and her army were all dead, there wasn't really a need anymore. Carlisle Cullen had promised Sam that his family would be gone by this morning, so Sam had said we could knock off the patrols now.

"Hmm?" Bella murmured, still mostly asleep.

"Sorry," I whispered, settling myself back onto the mattress and scooting close to her.

"What?" Bella's voice was clearer, and I regretted waking her up.

"I just forgot I didn't have to get up early this morning—or any morning until she gets here." My hand ghosted over the mound of my wife's stomach, where our daughter was cradled.

"Maybe you should stay in the habit, though. She'll probably like daddy-time in the morning."

"What about you?" My voice dropped, the low timbre making both of us shiver.

"Seeing Charlie some evenings is fine with me. But…I do like _my_ Jared-time in the morning." My last conscious thought was that it was good that I'd woken up early after all.

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Bella and Emily took over the apartment to work on school stuff, so I walked over to Sam's to grab some lunch.

"So, what now?" I looked across the table to Sam. Sitting like this really reminded me of those early days when it had just been the two of us in the pack.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Can I get away with saying 'I don't know'?"

I laughed. "Speak for yourself. I've only got 4 more months to get this fatherhood thing figured out."

"Okay, then, how about 'whatever we want'?" Sam's grin was roguish. "And about what you said…I've heard that's something that never gets completely figured out."

"Yeah," I admitted. "How about I give you some ideas: help our girls get their business going…get you married off…figure out what _we_ want to do…how's that for starters?"

Sam shook his head at me. "You do know we're supposed to be able to take it easy now, right?"

"Says who?"

"Good question. Hey, what do you mean 'get me married off'?"

"Emily's been through a lot, standing by you. She's been your fiancée a heck of a lot longer than I've even known Bella existed." I couldn't really find the right words, but really I didn't need to—Sam understood. "Besides, my little girl's going to need a playmate."

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Bella POV

"It's hard to believe it's over, isn't it?" I asked Emily.

"Honestly, yes. The last two years have been all about the pack and protecting the tribe, taking things one day at a time. It's going to be an adjustment to know I can plan things farther out."

"Like a wedding, maybe?" I teased.

"So is this how you're going to be now? You're married and pregnant, so we all have to be?"

"Not intentionally, especially if no one's ready for that. It's just that these guys all grew up together. I'd like my children—all our children—to have those kinds of bonds, too. Besides, you and Sam had been engaged for a while now. You deserve to have the wedding of your dreams and just focus on the two of you."

"You up to helping, then?" Emily asked.

"Just pick the date and we'll go from there." My words echoed Emily's when my own engagement had been announced.

Emily looked at me appraisingly. "Jared used to be quite a prankster when I first met him. Has he rubbed off on you?"

"Maybe. It's probably not a bad thing, though. My mom used to say I was born middle-aged, so maybe he's helping me back to where I ought to be."

"I'll talk to Sam and get back to you, alright?"

"Sure."

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After Emily left, I remembered that I needed to get my mom the baby ideas I'd found on Saturday. Was it really just two days ago? Somehow it seemed like a whole lot longer than that. I finished composing the email before realizing that I really wanted to talk to her. Before opening my cell phone, I did go ahead and send the email anyway—she was sure to ask for the item details anyway.

"Mom?'

"Bella? How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm good. Getting fat, but I feel fine."

"Oh, Bella, you're not getting fat, you're just proclaiming your femininity. I'm sure you look great, and that Jared tells you that daily. Are you eating healthy?"

"Yes, mom, he does, and yes, mom, I am. I'm not dad, remember? Sue says I'm doing great with getting the right nutrients and with my weight gain."

"Do you need more reassurance? Is that why you called?"

"Do I need a reason? It wasn't, though, actually. I just sent you an email with some baby shopping ideas."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I went to Port Angeles with Laura, Savannah, and Kim on Saturday and we hit a baby store there. You'd been hinting about wanting some suggestions so I found a few things I like."

"That's great, thank you. I'll check my email and see what you've sent me."

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We went to my dad's house for our usual Monday dinner. The spread was a little fancy for Charlie, who confessed with a blush that he'd gotten some help from Sue. When he asked how our week had gone, both Jared and I had to work at acting normal. The week had been beyond eventful, but he couldn't know any of it. That was another thing that would be changing for all of us: not having to keep so many secrets.

"I had a quiz in class and did some baby shopping on Saturday," I told my dad.

"Shopping. Sounds fun." We all laughed. Charlie wasn't any fonder of shopping than I was.

"Kim got me the outfit she promised for my birthday and I got some ideas to share with mom."

"She'll like that."

"I know. I want her to feel like she's involved as much as possible. I found a book of baby names, too. We can't keep calling her 'baby' forever."

"You going to share the name once you've picked it, or make us wait until we meet her?" Charlie asked.

Jared and I exchanged a glance. "Not sure," I admitted. "We haven't talked about it yet."

Charlie nodded. "Well, it's up to you. You did share which you're getting this time, so I don't think anyone could complain if you decide to keep this to yourselves."

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The baby-name conversation came up again when Jared and I were driving home.

"So what do you think?" he asked me.

"I'm thinking my dad had a good point. We _don't_ have to tell anyone the name we pick."

"Keep it a secret, then?"

"Would you mind?" The more I thought about it, I did want to keep our baby's name a secret until everyone could meet her. But what if Jared didn't want to…?

His hand reached over to clasp mine. "Of course not. Honestly, I think I like the idea of keeping it just between the two of us. Granted, our moms will pester us about it, but I'm sure we can stay strong."

"What about the pack?"

"I've kept quiet about us around them, so I can probably manage this, too. Besides it might not be as much of an issue anymore."

My eyes widened. "Are you guys giving it up? Just like that?" Maybe it was just that I'd only met many of them after they'd become wolves, but imagining them without that in their lives seemed so strange.

Jared sighed. "I don't know—we haven't talked about it yet."

"But you'd like to?" I remembered how he'd said that despite all they'd gained from phasing, they all still felt like it had taken so much away from them at the same time. Now that they didn't have the imperative anymore, why _wouldn't_ they stop?

"I think most of us do," he admitted. "Sam especially. He's done a great job being Alpha, but it's not a responsibility he ever wanted. He and Emily above all deserve their lives back."

"You all do." The youngest ones especially had more than earned the right to be carefree kids again. And even the older ones also deserved to recapture some of the freedom they'd sacrificed for all those months.

We were quiet for a while, lost in our own thoughts. "Everything's going to change, isn't it?" Jared's voice held a note of realization. "We're going to be focusing on becoming parents, Sam and Emily will hopefully be getting married…I can't see Leah and Daniel sticking around once you and Emily get your business going. And I'm betting Paul and Embry will leave as soon as they graduate, so that Rachel and Kim can have their dreams, too."

"Jake and the rest will still be around, though, even if some of the older ones leave. And even the ones that do leave…I think they'll come back, at least to visit. The bonds you all have…those aren't going to go away."

"I hope not. I was really only close to Sam before all this started, but now I can't imagine not having this deep friendship with all of them."

"See, one of the good things."

"I know."

"So is looking amazingly fit and sexy for your ages." I reached over with my other hand to trace up his arm.

"Thank you, Bella. I'm glad you appreciate it."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason. But that's another thing that'll have to change. Right now, we look older than we really are. If this lasts too long, we'll have the opposite problem."

"Jared, really," I gave him an 'I can't believe this' look. "You could keep running around for a while yet and still be ahead of the game. After all, Quil at least will keep phasing, won't he?"

"Yeah, probably—at least until Claire is older. The other kids might run with it—they deserve to have some fun with it. The rest of us…it's not like we'll exactly give it up cold turkey, but we will start to step it down."

"I think that all of you deserve to have some fun with it, not just the kids. You've dealt with the burden of your heritage, now enjoy the fun parts: the speed, the sex appeal…"

"I do, trust me."

"Jared, there's nothing that says you guys have to make any decisions right now. This has been part of your lives for a long time. Maybe you should all take a few days and _not_ think about it before you _start_ thinking about it."

"Wise, beautiful, sexy…"

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Jared POV

"You seem a little different," my dad observed, as we stood over the barbeque grill in the back yard Wednesday evening. Our amazing run of fall weather was continuing, and we were giving my mom a break from cooking.

"Do I?" I knew he was right—having destroyed the threat menacing Bella and so many others, we were all in much lighter moods lately.

"Yes, you do. You've seemed to grow up so much these last couple years, a lot more than you should have. I'm proud of the man you've become and will continue to become, but don't be _too_ grown up. Even though you're a husband, and about to be a father, but you're still only 18, almost 19. There's nothing wrong with acting your age sometimes." Dad flipped the burgers and closed the grill lid.

"Bella told me the same thing a couple days ago."

"Smart girl."

"I know. I'm not sure what I did to deserve her, but I'm so happy we both ended up at Jake's that day."

"Life can be like that sometimes, those little twists of fate or Providence."

I looked across the deck, to where Bella was pressing Savannah's hand to her belly. "She's going to be a great mom."

My dad agreed. "She's a great sister for Savannah and Drew, she manages you, she's a wonderful daughter…yeah, she'll be a great mom." He bumped my shoulder and we shared a grin.

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Drew and Savannah stopped by after school the next day, wanting some sibling time. I didn't really want to listen to Bella and my little sister talking about Jake, so Drew and I went for a walk.

"Are you going to call me crazy if I say I miss it?" he asked me.

"Depends. What, exactly do you miss?"

"Okay, I guess it is crazy, but I miss running around with you in the mornings."

I slung my arm around my brother's shoulders. "Actually, I don't think it's crazy at all. That was kind of our time, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I know we were out there to work, but I thought it was sorta fun."

"Want to do it again?"

He looked at me like I was handing him a Christmas present. "Really? You're still going to do it?"

"For a while, I think. Bella reminded me that we should have a little fun with this before giving it up. And, yes, really."

"Sure!"

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At the end of the week, Sam called us all together for a run. Jake and Leah turned it into a speed race between the two of them, but we all had fun kicking back and just relishing the wind blowing through our fur as we cut among the trees and leapt over obstacles. Finally, Sam signaled a halt.

_We need to work out what happens now._

_What do you mean? _Paul asked_._

_I mean that we don't __**have**__ to phase and patrol anymore. Life can finally go back to normal for all of us. We ought to be thinking about what that means for each of us._

_I want to leave, _Leah confessed_. I don't want to abandon mom, but…_

_You need to get away, at least for a while, _Sam finished for her_._

_Yeah._

_I don't blame you, Leah. I know I've put you through a lot, and I'm sorry._

_It wasn't your fault—some of the responsibility is mine, too._

_Talk things over with Daniel, and do whatever you need to. We'll all be there for Sue, if she needs us._

_Hey, what about me? _Seth griped_. _

_Yeah, she'll need their help with you alright, _Leah ragged her brother_._

_I know Rachel wasn't planning to move back here, _Paul said next_. I know I need to graduate, but then…she and I might hit the road for a while. I know Billy won't like it, but…_

_Dad'll understand, _Jake replied_. Just so long as she comes back to visit sometimes. I'll still be here, so he'll be okay._

_Kim and I haven't really talked about it, _Embry confessed_._

_Nothing says you have to decide now, _I offered Bella's words to my friend_. You've got months left till graduation—plenty of time to think about what you want and where you might find it._

_Jared's right, _Sam told us all_. This decision is one that only you can make, and what works for one of you won't for another. With or without the phasing, we'll still be a pack and have this bond._

_What about you, Sam? _I asked_._

_I'm going to stop phasing soon. I need to have my life back. I'll still be here for any of you, but I don't want to be in charge anymore. Jacob, I hope you'll think about stepping up, if you decide to keep the wolf for now._

Jake bowed his head_. Can I let you know in a few days?_

_Sure. I really think you'd do well at it, Jake, even if __**you're**__ not that sure. I just feel that I owe Emily my undivided attention if I have a hope of living up to Jared's example. _

_My example? I'm not perfect, Sam._ I wasn't sure exactly what he meant. I'd made mistakes, thankfully not many, but still…

_I know. _Sam spoke with the long experience of being my best friend_. And I know that your relationship with Bella has had its challenges with all the supernatural stuff, but what the two of you have between yourselves—and I'm not talking about the imprint here—I know that's what I want, what we all want. Face it, my friend, you're an example to us all, like it or not._

_Super._

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The rest of September passed in a very lazy fashion. All the kids still in school were able to focus on that, with their free time spent being teenagers instead of guardians. Bella and I began to discover new pregnancy symptoms to deal with: namely, her aching back and swelling feet. For the first, I gave lots of back rubs. I certainly didn't complain that most of those back rubs ended up turning into foreplay, and neither did Bella. For the other, the girls were great about sharing shoes, and even maneuvered Bella into some inexpensive shoe shopping.

Sam and Emily took a long weekend away, to the same lodge where Bella and I had spent our honeymoon. When they got back, Emily grabbed all the girls and dove into planning her and Sam's wedding, which they'd set for early November. Embry and I would be standing with Sam, and Bella would be joining Leah as a bridesmaid—over my wife's futile protests.

"I'll be as big as a house, Emily," she moaned.

"You will be gorgeous, Bella," Emily contradicted. "Besides, I'll be so stunning that no one will be looking at my attendants."

"Jared…" Bella whined on our way home. "I can't throw off the visual that way."

"She doesn't care, Bella. You wanted Emily standing with you on our special day, and she wants you to be there for her. You will, naturally, be amazingly sexy and beautiful, and everyone will see that." And if it took every day between now and then, I'd make sure Bella saw it, too.

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AN: for those readers who have first-hand experience, I'd welcome any suggestions on late-pregnancy peeves/issues that Jared and Bella might encounter. Also, if there are any things that I've teased about earlier in the story that need to be touched on again or explained before the story ends, just let me know.

Hope you all enjoyed this speedy update. I'll try to use my short break between semesters to be very productive on this story.


	64. Changes

AN: Thanks to all who've contributed pregnancy ideas. If there are more, they are welcome.

Kmae: I'm glad you're excited to see new chapters. I'm excited to post them.

Peanut7890: I like happy endings, so I think the characters are safe on that count.

HappyKitty: You're welcome. Some of the characters are at ages where they'd logically strike out on their own. BUT they do have very strong ties to their land and to each other. Just because they might split up a little now doesn't mean they couldn't reunite later (like after college). The story is starting to wind down, but we've still got a ways to go yet.

Littledivious: thank you very much. Here you go.

To any reviewer who submitted a signed review but didn't get the tease, I'm sorry. The website isn't letting me reply directly to reviews through my email, which means I have to go in through the reviews page on the story. Unfortunately, doing it that way sends my review replies as PMs, which some members have deactivated. I'm sorry, and I hope the site gets the reviews issue fixed soon.

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Sam POV

The first week after the battle…I hadn't felt so free since before I'd first phased. The newborn army was destroyed, the Cullens gone for good…for the first time in years I was able to take a breath and not feel the weight of the Alpha pressing on my shoulders. Everyone else felt their own relief, too. Relief, and some nerves. Being 'the pack' had been such a major part of our lives for so long that being able to ask ourselves 'what now?' was a little scary. We'd been through so much together, were bound so tightly, it probably wasn't a surprise that outsiders had wondered about us, thinking we were a cult or something. No matter what happened next for any of us, these bonds would last the rest of our lives.

For myself, I knew that I wanted to stop phasing. I knew that going back to the Sam I'd been before any of this happened was impossible, but I could move on, just like Bella had. What I wasn't sure about was what my decision might mean for the others, especially the kids. Quil at least was certain to keep phasing for a few years, until Claire was closer to grown up, which meant that his friends probably would, too. That stopped me in my mental tracks for a minute. I'd mostly been okay with that particular imprint lately, if only because there'd been too much else more imperative to focus on to spend time worrying about my three-year-old niece's future. But now I realized that Claire was going to miss out on at least a little of what the other girls had gotten: their own bond of shared experience in being imprints. Unless any other of the young pack members imprinted, Claire would be the only one to not get that, since I couldn't see any of the older pack still phasing a decade and more from now. Like I had with so much else in the last few years, I shoved this aside-nothing I could do about it anyway.

I was only moments away from walking into the council meeting, every bit as nervous as I'd been the first time I'd done it. Then, I'd only been 18, a new high school graduate and new wolf. Now, I was nearly 21 and an Alpha with over two years of experience. Still, this meeting was likely to prove as momentous as that first one.

"You sure about this?" Jake whispered from behind me.

"I am. It may seem selfish, but I have to put Emily first now. She's had to sacrifice so much because of things she couldn't control, because of what we are. Now it's her time to be my top priority."

"I know that, Sam, really. I just wish I didn't feel like I was getting tossed off the edge of our cliff."

"I'll be jumping right beside you, promise. Speaking of, we ought to do that again one more time before Jared goes all paternal on us."

Jake laughed, and I could see again the carefree kid he'd once been. "They're so happy, and it's all great, but it's going to be so weird seeing him and Bells as _parents_."

"Just wait until Savannah cons you into co-babysitting with her. Now, are you ready, or do I need to boost you up some more?"

A very deep breath, then another. "Okay."

"Welcome, Sam," Billy greeted me, at first not seeing that I wasn't alone. When he did notice, "Jacob, if you need more time, I'm sure Sam will be available after our meeting."

"I requested that Jacob join us tonight, Billy."

"For what purpose?" Old Quil asked, as I'd evidently rendered Billy speechless.

"As the elders are aware," my tone and words were formal, "in the last pack Ephraim Black was Alpha and Levi Uley served as his Beta. In our pack, I became Alpha by default due to the fact that I was the first to phase. Jared Mahan was my Beta for similar reason until Jacob phased, but stepped aside once Jacob felt himself ready to step up into the Beta role. At that time, I offered to step aside and allow him to assume his birthright as Alpha but he chose to decline. I wish the elders to witness that I have again made this request of Jacob Black and that he has chosen now to accept it." The end of my speech was greeted with deafening silence.

"Jacob?" Billy whispered.

"Yeah, dad. I'm doing this. Sam's carried the burden long enough. It's time I stepped up."

"What brought this on?" Sue asked me. I briefly explained how I'd come to this decision. "The dangers are over, so it seems like the right time. Jacob can come to me anytime for advice or just to vent, or whatever he needs. Just because I might not be phasing doesn't mean I won't be here if he needs me."

"What about the others, Sam? What decisions have they made?" I knew she was thinking about her own kids first and foremost.

"The older members will start stepping things down, but the younger ones seem to plan on sticking with it for a while."

"Do you think there is more danger?"

"No, I don't. The Cullens are gone now, and you remember what they said…"

(flashback)

The elders settled into seats on the wide porch at the back of the Cullen house. None of us were all that happy to be back, but this meeting was necessary and this was the most logistically comfortable place to have it. We weren't about to let them back onto the reservation, their helpfulness aside.

"How are you feeling today, Seth?" Carlisle Cullen began.

Seth had flatly refused to stay home, claiming that he was as good as new. He wasn't, really, but he'd improved enough overnight to have stopped the morphine and even get out of bed. Knowing how much everyone, including myself, owed to Seth, I hadn't been able to consider ordering him to stay home. "Okay. A little stiff, but not too bad. Super-fast healing and all. Doc, if I didn't say it before, thanks."

"I'm glad my assistance was beneficial." He actually did seem pleased. I was willing to concede that his doctor persona might really be genuine. Not that I planned on finding that out personally, though.

"Gracious of you to make amends," Sue muttered quietly-which meant that everyone except for Bella heard her.

"What do you want of us?" The doc's wife stepped in, maybe trying to diffuse the tension Sue's comment had begun to create.

"What I want, you can't give me. I'll settle for you leaving us alone-forever."

We were all more than a little impressed with the tongue-lashing that Bella delivered. It was almost laughable how stunned all the vamps were-like she'd grown a second head-and so clueless that their presence here had been damaging as well as unwanted.

Old Quil delivered our parting shot after Bella and Jared had driven away. "Our grandfathers," he began, referring to himself, Billy, and Sue, "made the treaty with you 70 years ago. You outnumbered them twice over, and proved that you were not a threat to them. Your numbers have grown, but ours have grown larger still. Grown, when they should not have. We acknowledge your help to members of our tribe, to Seth Clearwater and Bella Mahan. But your presence here is no longer welcome."

The doc inclined his head. "I understand. I can only say again that we did not know the effects our presence here would have, and that they were not intended. We will remove our remaining possessions tonight and make arrangements for the sale of this house. We will further assure you that we will avoid this general area in our future moves."

"That would be best."

(end flashback)

"They've kept their word in the past, and I believe they will this time as well."

Billy inclined his head in acceptance of my judgment. Then he turned to his son. "Jacob Black, are you willing to accept the mantle of Alpha to the pack, to allow Samuel Uley to step aside from this position?"

"I am willing," Jacob inclined his own head to his father and the other elders.

"Samuel Uley, the elders thank you for your service to our tribe in your leadership of the pack. Upon the statements of yourself and Jacob Black, he is now the Alpha."

Jacob and I turned and faced one another. In unison, our hands extended, clasped, and released.

"We will arrange for a bonfire tonight in honor of this transition," Old Quil announced.

"I do have one request, if it is permitted," Jacob said.

"What is your request?" Billy inquired, managing to address his son as the Alpha.

"I would like to ask that Sam remain one of the tribe's elders. He has led us well, and the tribe should not lose the benefit of his wisdom and insight. Perhaps in time I can achieve those things for myself, but right now I do not feel myself ready to take on that role as well as that of Alpha."

"Are you willing to agree to this, Sam?"

"I am."

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Jared POV

It was a little weird, if I was willing to admit it, to think of Jake as Alpha instead of Sam. Not that it was bad-it wasn't like Jake really had much to do now-just weird. Sam was definitely happier now, though, so I wasn't going to gripe about the switch. It was the way things were supposed to be. I did have to take a moment to remind Jake that him being Alpha now in no way meant that I would be abandoning my brotherly responsibilities to Savannah.

"I'm not an idiot, Jared. Besides, I've got enough on my plate figuring out how to be Alpha. I'm not ready to be like you yet. Wouldn't mind advice, though."

"Never was Alpha myself-stick to Sam on that one. Dealing with Sav...you're on your own there, buddy. Any of the rest of it, talk to me when you get there. Otherwise, my advice is all yours."

"Gee, thanks."

All kidding aside, it was flattering, albeit a little intimidating, to be solicited for advice. I didn't feel like I had that much to offer, not with so much that I was realizing I didn't know. Watching Bella get bigger, sometimes by the day it seemed, I found myself getting nervous. Were we really going to be able to handle this? Becoming parents at 19, with only high school educations?

"How did you do it, Sam? Carry so much responsibility without knowing what you were doing?"

"The only way I could: I tried. I know that's not really an answer. No one expects you to be perfect at it-you're going to make mistakes, just like I did."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Sam's hands raked through the hair that was starting to grow a little longer than he'd let it get in years. "I'm not really the one to ask here-you know what kind of a father Joshua wasn't. You've got your dad, Jake and his, Charlie...you'll do the best you can, we all know that. Besides, Bella will keep you on track, right?"

I couldn't help a wry grin. "Yeah, I'm sure she will."

"She need you today?"

"I don't think so. Said she was doing girl stuff this afternoon. Why?"

"Thought we'd have one last cliff-diving run before you get all grown-up on us."

The look I gave him had Sam practically rolling with laughter. "You-look-just-like-a-dad-doing-that," he gasped.

"Then I'll act like one and tell you to try for a better reason than that."

"Actually, that is the main reason. But I could also say that this is about the last chance we'll have to get away with it without people noticing."

"Can't argue with that." With our higher than normal body temperatures, we didn't need to bundle up against the cold, but had had to do it anyway last winter to avoid suspicious looks and unwelcome questions. I debated for a second, before deciding _what the hell._ After all, Bella was occupied and my little girl wouldn't get here until next year. And besides, I was still a teenager—I should act like it while I had the chance. "Sure. Why not."

It ended up being exactly what I needed. The rush of falling through the air, the slap of the waves as I crashed down through them, that weightless rush...

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Bella POV

Like all other good things, the beautiful fall weather came to a crashing halt when the calendar flipped to October. The clouds and rain that were an almost constant feature of Washington's Olympic Peninsula returned in full force. Surprisingly, I didn't really mind much this year—I had too much else to fill my days to worry about the weather.

Jared's aunt brought over fabric for me to pick out what I wanted for the baby's nursery.

"You'll want lots of sheets—babies are messy. Some blankets…curtains, too."

"What about pillows or those padded sides?"

"Actually, no. It's not a good idea to have fluffy things in the crib with a baby."

"If they aren't safe, then I don't want them. I think I like these the best." I pointed out an assortment of fabrics in greens, yellows, and pinks.

"Not too girly, then?"

"Not really. I'd like to keep most things fairly neutral, so that when we have more kids we can reuse things."

The rest of the day was spent in pleasant conversation, while the portable sewing machine she'd brought with her whirred. I heard so many stories about Jared, and laughed so hard I got a stitch in my side. I'd heard a few people say what a joker he'd been when he was younger, but I hadn't really appreciated all the stuff he'd gotten himself into—and back out of, more often than not. My aunt—she'd insisted I call her that—was an absolute magician and the final products were incredible.

The nursery…One weekend, I had Jared and the guys moving the baby furniture around all afternoon.

"Bells, we had it this way earlier," Jake groaned.

"I want this to be right," I insisted.

"Why don't you draw it out and we can put things where you want them when you're happy?"

"Paper is only two-dimensional, and I need to see things in three-dimensions."

"But—"

"Boys, remember: mom wins every time," James advised, obviously amused.

Jared tugged me over to the rocking chair and down into his lap. As he gently started us gliding back and forth, he pressed a kiss to my temple. "It _will_ be perfect, Bella, and we have plenty of time to make sure of it. We can always change things around between now and January if we see that the set-up isn't working. She'll be the luckiest little girl in the world to have so many 'uncles' help to set up her room."

"I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"You're just nesting," my father-in-law answered on my husband's behalf. "Laura did the same thing both times. Cleaning, organizing...it's a mother's instinct."

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When Emily and I made our weekly rounds on the reservation, it wasn't uncommon for us to leave a home with a small decoration or household item for her, or a baby outfit or blanket for me. I quickly managed to accustom myself to tribal hospitality and accepted things graciously. As Jared had said before our wedding, we'd have plenty of changes to 'pay-it-forward' to others. Besides, we generally arrived with a dish of food, so things evened out.

Just like with Jared and I's wedding, the tribe was really coming together to help with Emily and Sam's. Unlike us, though, they were going with a completely tribal wedding. Emily did confess to one small reservation.

"I just wonder if someday I'll regret not having the 'white dress experience'."

"Would Sam mind if you did have an official wedding dress?"

"No, he says he wants me to have whatever I want, but I'm not sure. Our tribal heritage is very important to both of us, so there's that expectation to do things traditionally. But we're also people of today, and we like some of those traditions, too."

I had a light bulb moment. "Why don't you do like we did, and have something of each, but in your own way? Maybe wear a traditional outfit for your tribal wedding, but then have something more wedding dress-ish for your reception? It could even just be something dressy that you could even wear again later."

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Jared POV

"Everything looks great," Sue told us, at Bella's six-month appointment. In all the preparations for the fight last month, it had been easy to forget we were waiting for more test results. Fortunately, we'd had nothing to worry about-everything had come back perfectly normal. "How are you feeling, Bella?"

"Great. Sometimes I have more energy than I know what to do with." I was glad Sue was focused on her patient and not me-not that I was complaining about how some of that energy was being channeled.

"That's pretty standard for the second trimester. Women are usually over the nausea by then, and it's before they get so close to the end that they don't feel like moving around. Just make sure to not over-do it. Listen to your body-it knows what you need."

"I'll make sure she does," I promised, earning myself a nudge from Bella's elbow.

"I think I can handle a lot of that myself. After all, I've been quite coordinated lately."

And she had been, I couldn't argue with that. Sue did offer a caution against over-confidence.

"That probably won't last, Bella. Remember that it'll get harder to see what your feet are doing or whether there's anything on the ground in front of you."

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"Do you guys do anything for Halloween?" Bella asked, as we strolled the aisles of the grocery store in Forks, looking for a few things Bella had decided she was craving that we didn't have in the rez store. The massive display of Halloween candy and decorations was hard to miss.

"Yeah. We do the big holidays, just like everyone does. Thanksgiving's not as big for us, for obvious reasons, but we generally get together to eat and watch the games."

"So, Halloween?"

"Trick-or-Treating for the kids. Parties sometimes. If the weather's decent, there's a bonfire and we tell scary stories. Savannah and Drew have been after mom to have a party at the house, and I think they'll win."

"Could we help?"

"I'm sure. And we can even have fun, too. Find some costumes…"

"Jared, where am I going to find a costume to fit this?" Her hands reached and managed to touch each other around the circumference of her stomach.

"I'm sure there'll be at least a few options. I'll talk to some of the others and maybe we can go to Port Angles this weekend and hit a costume store."

I did, and we did. I earned myself some dirty looks and mutters from Bella, and gales of laughter from everyone else, with some of the costume suggestions I had for her.

"I AM NOT dressing up as a tomato!" she'd almost shrieked. "A devil? A witch? A pregnant pirate?"

I threw my hands up in self-defense. "I didn't make them, Bella."

"You want me to wear a costume? Then pick something I won't look ridiculous in!"

"Well, look on the bright side, Bella. It's not like he suggested a belly dancer, did he?"

Kim's suggestion had mouths hanging open, though probably not the way she'd intended. "Oh, no. There's no way I'm going to any kind of party dressed like that!" Bella was adamant.

"What about staying home?" I breathed into her ear.

Bella's eyes almost burned me—I knew she knew what I meant.

"Bella, this one's kinda cute," Embry held up a costume.

"A chef?" She was dubious, but hadn't blown him out of the water for it.

"You know 'bun in the oven?"

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Bella and I were just relaxing on the couch, having a quiet night with just the two of us.

"Jared, could you get me the baby name book and some paper and a pen?"

"Want to start looking through it?"

"Yes."

Requested items in hand, I rejoined her. "Okay, how do you want to do this?"

"I think we should each find names we like, and then we can talk about them. In the end, no picking a name that we don't both love."

"Sounds good. Any other ground rules? Like things to not even consider?"

"I think there are a few obvious names, like ones of certain people we don't like. Or names where you can't tell which gender it's for."

"Perfect. Oh, let's avoid names that start with 'M'. Having the first and last name start with the same letter..."

Bella opened the book and then paused with her finger stuck between the first couple pages of 'A' names. "I want the names we pick to mean something. I don't just want to pick them because they sound or look nice."

"I love that," I leaned forward to claim a soft kiss. "Meaning is very important to any tribe-maybe _the_ most important part to choosing a name. The right meanings, definite must."

"But nothing that'll get her teased about. Nothing too strange."

"No super-trendy celebrity names, check."

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Bella POV

"Laura, I know it's a month away, but would you help me with Jared's birthday?"

"Of course, Bella. I'd be happy to. What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure. The concert in Seattle back in May was for his half-birthday, but I want to do something special now, too."

"Hmm. Let me think about it. I'm sure he'll be happy with whatever you want to do, but I understand what you mean."

Jared did tell me the same, of course, which only made me more determined to come up with something meaningful, even if it was simple. Enlightenment came when I browsed through our relationship photo album, the one Angela and Ben had given me for my birthday.

"Hey, Laura. What do you think about…?"

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AN: Well, I hope you liked this chapter and that it was a good one. I'm about to start my summer semester, which means my time will have more demands on it again. But I will do my best to keep to a reasonable updating schedule as this story begins to wind down.


	65. Bun in the Oven

AN: Thanks everyone. Over 1,800 reviews now. Getting close to the 2,000 mark, so I'm doing an advance plug for that. The provider of that review will get a little something (to be determined based on where the story's at when we get there).

Kmae: Regarding your Possibilities review: That might be the way I go first. Thanks.

Peanut7890: I thought so, too. It's an actual costume I saw online. In answer (sort-of) to your question: anything is possible. You'll just have to wait and see. For a while I was as clueless as Bella, but then I did get the idea of what she'll do for Jared. Stay tuned.

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Emily POV

"Just sign on the dotted line and this will be good to mail," Daniel told Bella and me. He had been very patient as he walked us through the applications for business loans and insurance. "Shouldn't take long to get an answer on the loan—they want to award everything they can before the end of the year."

"Thank you." It was such a simple thing to say, and didn't even scratch the surface. I had to wonder if we'd be doing this—starting a business—at all if it weren't for his help. To take such a giant step…would either Bella or I have had the courage to do this without so much help? And it wasn't just for this that he deserved thanks. He'd been such a help in so many ways since he'd appeared this summer. Even though he'd said that his job let him work anywhere, he'd still changed everything to stay here with us—with Leah. I was so happy that Leah had found him, that she was finding the same that the rest of us had. It had devastated me to know that I was partly responsible for her unhappiness, even though I couldn't regret the joy and love I'd found with Sam. Leah was now able to be happy for me and enjoy being part of my wedding plans, where before her involvement had been more reluctant.

"That does it," Daniel folded up the paperwork and stuffed in an envelope. "Want me to mail this for you?"

"We're actually heading into Port Angeles to do some shopping, so we can drop it in the mail. Thanks though," Bella told him.

An hour and a half later, Bella, Leah, and I were in the same bridal store where Bella had found her wedding gown.

"Welcome…oh, hello. How was your wedding?" The saleslady obviously recognized Bella from our last visit back in June.

"It was beautiful, Madeline. Thank you again for helping me find the perfect dress." Bella handed over a picture of her and Jared to show the dress in action.

"You're right, it was the perfect choice. It looks like you had a wonderful wedding, and I must say, you found yourself a very handsome groom."

"Mhmm," Bella murmured.

"So how can I help you today?"

"You might remember Emily, who was one of my bridesmaids. She's getting married next month in a tribal ceremony, but wants a more conventional outfit for the reception—maybe something she can wear later on, too."

"So, more of a party dress and less of a formal wedding gown?" Madeline asked in clarification.

"That's right," I told her. Within minutes, I was whisked back to a dressing room and was trying on dresses. It took longer for me than it had for Bella, but I was eventually able to find a dress that had a style I liked.

"And if you want to use it again, the fabric takes dye very well if you'd like a different color later on."

"Thank you, Madeline." It had been an all-too-rare experience for me when she hadn't given my scars a second look, or even much of a first look.

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Bella POV

"Surprise!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as Leah pushed open her front door and I was greeted by that chorus.

"What is this?"

"Your baby shower, silly," Leah told me, clearly a bit exasperated by my apparent cluelessness.

"Baby shower?" I was trying to pull my thoughts together. Leah had suggested hanging out at her place for a while, to get me out of mine, and I hadn't been expecting this instead.

Laura approached me from where she'd been standing in the middle of the living room. "Bella, I hope you didn't think that you and my first granddaughter weren't going to get this?"

"No…" and I hadn't—this was the first grandchild for both families, "but isn't this early? I'm not even seven months pregnant yet."

"There isn't really a set time really. But with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, I thought you'd be able to enjoy it more if we had the shower now than if we waited until the last couple weeks before she's born."

"Come on, Bella. We can't have your party with you standing in the doorway." Leah nudged me inside and over to a carved rocking chair. "Okay, Laura you sit by Bella. Mom, will you had the gifts to her? I'll keep a list and Savannah will take them to the bedroom when everyone's had a chance to see them."

I looked around the room. The pack members' moms were here, so were the imprints and their moms. Even Jared's aunt had come up from Portland. Many of the women I'd met during my visits around the rez. My mouth fell open when I saw that Angela was here along with her mother—she hadn't breathed a word when we'd talked a few days ago. She laughed softly at my expression.

"I couldn't miss this."

"I'm glad you came."

"Present time," Savannah urged. "Bella, open mine first, please?"

"Of course." I opened the paper wrapping carefully, old habit even though there wasn't really the need anymore. "Oh," I gasped. My little sister had made a cross-stitch picture for the nursery: pictures of Quileute and other native symbols, done in baby-friendly pastels. "Savannah, thank you."

"I'd wanted to finish this for your birthday, but I couldn't manage it. I'm sorry."

"It's perfect now. Thank you." I opened my arms and she bounced into them for a hug.

Sue handed me the next gift. As I took it, I felt a pang that my mom was missing this. It took a little doing, but I shook the thought off. The fact that we lived on opposite sides of the country now inevitably meant that we'd each miss out on many things in each others' lives. The doorbell rang in unison with the first rip of the wrapping paper. I looked up to see who the late arrival might be. As my eyes focused, they immediately blurred again and Laura had to rescue the gift on my lap from a tumble to the floor.

"Mom?"

"Hi, baby," Renee swept me into a hug. "They didn't spill the beans, did they?"

"No," was my gasp of an answer.

"I couldn't miss this," Renee gushed. "My baby's baby shower."

Leah brought in another chair and Laura scooted over so Renee could sit between her and me. Just like the wedding shower this summer, everyone was incredibly generous. Emily and Kim had obviously shared some of my favorite picks from the baby store visit—obvious since I got them all. Blankets, clothes in various sizes, diapers and wipes, bottles and pacifiers, toys…it was a little overwhelming. I thought it was finally over when the last box disappeared. I should have known better when Laura vanished for a moment. When she came back, she was pushing a stroller/carrier combination.

"There's a car-base for the carrier, too, Bella. This is from your parents and from James and I."

Tears came despite my best efforts not to cry. "Thank you," I mouthed.

With the gift-giving finally over for real, Sue declared it was time for refreshments before we played some baby shower games. "Bella, healthy eating can go out the window today; enjoy yourself."

Someone had made an amazing slushy punch, there were baby cupcakes…I did listen to my maternal instincts and have some fruit salad as well.

"Okay, first game," Leah announced. "We've got a jar full of pink and red jelly beans. Everyone take a slip of paper and write your name and your guess for how many pins are in the jar. At the end of the shower, whoever's guess is closest wins the jar and the jelly beans." Emily followed behind her cousin and collected all the slips.

The next game involved everyone sniffing diapers with samples of baby food inside and trying to figure out what each flavor was. "This is pretty unfair to those of us who don't remember baby food," Kim complained. She, like me, was an only child.

"Life's like that sometimes," my mom teased.

Despite my native distaste for being the center of attention and the recipient of gifts, I honestly had to admit that the baby shower was a lot of fun. Maybe it was being with so many people who cared about Jared and I and our baby.

"Is it safe to enter?" Jared asked from a probable position on the front porch.

"Yes," his mother told him. "We've got jobs for you and anyone with you."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Carrying all of this out to the car."

He came in the room and stopped dead in his tracks. Sam knocked him forward a step when he collided with Jared's back. "Wow," Jared breathed.

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Jared POV

It took Sam, Drew, and I a while to get all the gifts out to my car and my mom's and to figure out how to get everything to fit.

"You guys made out like bandits," my brother muttered.

"Wow," was still all I could say.

Later that night, Bella and I curled up together in bed. "Can you believe we got all this?" I asked her.

"Not really," she admitted. "Everyone is so generous…"

"That's the tribal way."

"But, we can pay it forward, right?" Bella reminded me of what I'd said before our wedding.

"Right." Hopefully, though, that wouldn't be for a few years. We hadn't exactly talked yet about the total number of kids we were hoping for, just that there would be at least two.

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Bella's mom was only able to stay for one day after the baby shower, but we made sure to have her and Charlie over for dinner along with my family.

"Mom, let me give you a tour," Bella was glowing from more than just the pregnancy, to be able to show our home off to her mom.

"Bella, this is beautiful. You two have done a great job."

"Thanks. We've had lots of help, but we're so happy with this. It's going to be a great home for us and the baby, too. I'm so glad you're finally getting to see it."

"I'm glad, too, baby. Phil's sorry he couldn't come, but this _was_ more of a girl trip. He promises he'll come out with me when your baby comes."

"You won't be back before then?" Bella tried to hide her disappointment, and I stifled a sigh. It was something we'd dealt with before, and would again, so long as Bella's mom and step dad lived on the complete opposite side of the country from us.

"I wish I could, but I don't think it will happen. We'll talk often, and maybe we can do that computer chatting again, too."

"I'd like that."

I wrapped my arms around Bella, hoping she could feel my love and support. When everyone had left, I tried to offer a distraction. "Do you want to talk over names some?"

"Sure."

We each retrieved our lists and I grabbed the name book.

"What about Danielle Kai?" I asked.

"What does it mean?"

"Danielle means _God is my judge_. Kai is a native word for willow tree, and spelled k-a-y it means pure and beloved."

"Those are all nice…"

"But you don't like them."

Bella looked me in the eyes and tried to explain. "It isn't that I don't like them as names, just maybe not for her. Danielle is just so close to Daniel, and he and Leah might want to have that naming option available down the road."

"I hadn't thought of it that way. You're right, of course. Your turn."

"I've got two: Darcy Elizabeth or Joanna Lily."

"Jane Austen, right?"

"That's right—Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were characters in _Pride and Prejudice_."

"What does the other name mean? Joanna?"

"God is gracious. I guess it struck me because we've been so lucky lately."

"I think we could put them on the list for consideration."

"Except…"

"What?"

"I just remembered that _his_ mother's name was Elizabeth, too."

"Well, what about combining the two? Maybe Darcy Joanna?"

"Put it on the list. Did you have any more?"

"Amanda Marie? Amanda means _she who must be loved_—which our daughter already is—and Marie is for you."

"For my grandmother. Add it."

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Bella POV

Friday morning, I woke up with lots of energy. I decided that this was the perfect time to practice the catering menu Emily and I had selected—all of it. By the time I got done, every horizontal surface in the kitchen was covered with food. "What am I going to do with all of this?" I wondered aloud. Oh, I _knew_ that the pack would be only too happy to help, but they shouldn't be the only beneficiaries. Not only out of fairness, but the ones trying to quit were going to have to start watching what they ate.

Then, I got some inspiration. Charlie and his deputies would surely enjoy these goodies. I could run them to my dad's place and he could take them to the station tomorrow. Putting my plan into action, I was soon on the way into Forks. The state of the kitchen and the rest of the house definitely showed return of its bachelor status. Not that Charlie was a slob or on the verge of becoming one of those TV hoarders, but it was just a subtle impression. There were a couple days' worth of dirty dishes in the sink, some Vitamin R cans that hadn't made it to the recycling bin…Either it was my nesting instinct kicking in again, or some misplaced guilt at leaving him alone again, but I began a whirlwind cleaning frenzy. Things looked in good shape when I decided it was time to head back to my own house. That was when I started to freak out: I couldn't find my keys.

"Think, Bella, think. Where did you put them?" I started retracing my steps—which meant going over practically the entire house. Picking things up, looking under them and inside…

"I swear I'm going crazy!" My hands clenched in my hair.

"Why? Has Jared done something?" Charlie's voice had me jumping, my heart up in my throat.

"Charlie, you scared me."

"Sorry, Bells. Not that I'm upset, but what are you doing here?"

I explained my purpose in coming.

"Okay, so why are you going crazy? Jared?"

"No, it's me. I can't seem to keep track of things to save my life! You name it and I misplace it. It's usually just minor stuff, like my shoes, but now it's my keys. I can't find them."

"Forgetfulness is fairly common in pregnancy, Bella. At least, that's what the books say."

"Maybe, but I'm not used to being this way. I've always been on top of things, so this is weird for me." It took a moment for Charlie's words to penetrate my brain. "Hey, what do you mean 'that's what the books say'? Are you reading pregnancy books?"

Charlie's face was flaming red, and he stammered, "No, no, nothing like that. I've just been talking to Sue some, just so I'm not completely clueless. She mentioned it."

"Oh."

"Here's your keys, Bells. They were still in the lock."

It was my turn to be embarrassed. When my head dropped down into my hand, I could feel that my face was flaming just as badly as my dad's just had. "I guess I forgot to grab them after I brought all the food in," I mumbled.

"It's okay, Bells. You need me to give you a ride home? Or call Jared for you?"

"No!" I burst out. "I'm fine, dad, honest. Can we _please_ have this be our little secret?"

"Sure." It actually seemed like Charlie was happy to have a secret for just the two of us. For myself, I just hoped that no one in the pack ever found out about this—I'd never live it down.

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On Halloween night, Jared and I took up our station on the store's front porch.

"It won't really work to have kids going up and down the stairs just to get to our door," he commented.

It was really cute seeing the costumes kids had picked. Superheroes, movie characters, and fairytale princesses seemed the most popular. Seeing the parents supervising from a distance reminded me that in a few years Jared and I would be doing exactly the same thing.

"It seems like a long time before we'll be doing that, and yet when it gets here it'll probably feel like no time at all," Jared said softly, almost like he'd read my mind.

"Yeah. It'll come when it comes. I'm not going to dread it, but I'm not going to focus on it just yet. We'll have too many other experiences and memories first."

The last of our candy dispensed, we got ready to head over to Jared's parents house for the Halloween party that the kids had successfully lobbied for.

"Sure you don't want to change before we leave?"

I glared at my husband's cheeky grin. "Just because I'm wearing this costume at the party _does not_ mean that I'm going to parade in it in front of the whole of La Push."

"Sorry. It was just a thought."

"A thought that might have you sleeping on the couch tonight if you're not careful," was my warning.

"I am sorry, Bella. I wasn't thinking. To me, you're always beautiful and sexy, no matter what."

At the Mahans', Jared helped me get my oven on and donned his own costume. He'd bought the baker-guy costume that matched mine. We got a look from his parents to say that the double entendre of our costumes hadn't slipped by them.

I started looking around and saw that it wasn't just Drew's and Savannah's friends who were here—lots of our friends were, too.

"Oh my gosh, Bella. You look amazing!" A familiar but out-of-place voice had my head turning to locate it.

"Angela? Ben? What are you doing here?"

"Your husband got in touch with us and invited us to the party when he heard we'd be in town this weekend."

"He did, did he? I'm glad. I'd've done it myself if I'd remembered."

"Don't worry about it-when we talked earlier, us coming home for the weekend was really tentative."

"Cute costume, Bella."

"Thanks, Ben. Embry actually found it for me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It beat the ones Jared suggested." I grimaced and related Jared's less-than-desirable options.

"Well…I've seen a photo of my mom they took the year she was pregnant with the twins," Angela related. "She was dressed as a pumpkin."

I groaned.

"I've got that one beat. I read a book once, and a pregnant character thought about trying a skeleton costume." Laura paused beside us briefly.

"You're kidding, right? What pregnant woman would want to be a skeleton?"

"No, she thought it might make her seem skinnier."

I looked down at my swollen stomach—that book character had to have been crazy to think her idea would work. "Is there anything I can help you with, Laura?"

"We've got everything under control, Bella. You just catch up with your friends."

Eyeing the chair behind me, I tried to figure how best to sit down in my costume.

"Need a hand?" Ben asked with a small grin.

"Sure." I wasn't too proud to accept the help. As my body hit the cushions, I gave a small sigh.

"Tired?" Angela inquired, settling onto the overstuffed arm of the chair.

"A little, right now. But overall, I'm feeling great. A little stuffed, but great."

"You do look good. And happy."

"I am happy, thanks." Even though I couldn't tell Angela all of _why_ I was so happy, I was still glad that she could see it.

"How's things going with the catering business preparation?"

"Leah's boyfriend, Daniel, has been so much help. We've got the bulk of the technical stuff out of the way—license, insurance, loan, menu. We just took a food safety course, so the only thing left is finalizing the contract. Then we'll be good to go."

"Looking for your first client?"

"I guess we can start taking informal bookings at least."

"My mom was saying she might need some help with a few pies for Thanksgiving this year. Do you think that's something you could do?"

"Probably, but—Jared?"

"Yeah, Bella?"

"Could you grab Emily for me? We might have a job coming up."

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AN: Not much drama this time, I know, but I do have some coming up in the future. Hope you liked this.


	66. Busy Happy Times

Twilightfan: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I will definitely see this through—it's just taking longer for each chapter now than it used to.

Red Ink: Sorry I couldn't send you a tease. The site modifications have review replies coming as PMs now. I've misplaced my keys and ipod before, which sparked frantic searches before finding them. MC suggested it and I thought it would be a good pregnancy moment.

tinkerbell123: Thank you. I will get this finished no matter what-just can't say when.

lionessuk19: Thanks. I hope this came soon enough. Truly wish I could still be maintaining the multiple updates a week, but it's not feasible anymore :(

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Bella POV

"Do you need to head straight home?" I asked Emily as we walked out of the building after class.

"I don't have to, no. Do you need to do something?"

"Jared's birthday is Saturday, and we're going to celebrate. I'd like to stop by a store here and get something special to wear."

Emily laughed. "Of course. Jared isn't going to know what hit him. Lead the way, Bella. This one is my treat, remember?"

"Yes, I remember." Even though a tiny part of me wanted to argue that Emily could use the money toward her own wedding, now just over a week away, I wasn't going to. This was the birthday gift she'd promised me, and would be graciously accepted.

I stood in the store, completely at a loss as to what I wanted. As Emily had said, I wanted Jared's jaw to hit the floor. "It's got to be something really different," I mused.

"Well, why don't you pick a feature to start with? Long-sleeve, short-sleeve, straps, strapless?" I loved Emily's practicality.

"I want the wow-factor, so it needs to be strapless." It wasn't only my stomach that had been expanding during my pregnancy—my breasts had, too, much to Jared's appreciation.

"Color?"

"Well…I think that needs to be different, too…" My voice trailed off as my scan of the store's racks was halted by an eye-catching dress in a rich burgundy color. Definitely different from the dresses Jared had seen me in before, which had mostly been in his favorite color: green.

"Oh…" Emily noticed the dress then. It was knee-length and had a black floral pattern winding over it. A black sash would tie over the top curve of my pregnant belly. "You _have_ to try that on, Bella._"_

It fit like a dream, and even had a little extra room to it. I wasn't sure I'd still fit in it come Christmas, but if I could…Either way, it was perfect for now.

"Wow. Bella, forget that other dress you picked earlier. Wear this to my wedding."

"Emily, I can't do that! That's your day."

"And I deserve to have an amazingly gorgeous matron of honor standing up with me."

"But—"

"No buts, Bella. This is what I want. The colors of this dress are perfect for a tribal wedding. Besides, having you look so incredible at about seven months pregnant might get some wheels turning for Sam."

"Are you two going to start trying for a family right away?"

"I want to, Sam's not as sure."

"He has to know you'll both be great parents. Just look at how the two of you have managed the pack the last couple years."

Emily nudged me back into the dressing room to change and stood right on the other side of the curtain to continue our conversation. "I think that might be why he's a little hesitant. Almost our whole relationship has involved, well, parenting the other wolves. There was a lot of good in that and neither of us regrets it, but Sam wants time for just us before we start that part for real with a baby."

"There's nothing wrong with that, even though things didn't go that way for Jared and I. Just so you're both okay with it happening when it's meant to." Privately, I hoped they wouldn't end up waiting too long—I honestly liked the idea of Sam and Emily having a baby who'd only be a little younger than my daughter.

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While waiting for Jared to get done with work on the first Friday in November, the butterflies in my stomach had nothing to do with the baby. I couldn't wait to start celebrating Jared's birthday. The irony that I didn't like to celebrate my own birthday but anticipated his didn't escape me, neither did it dissuade me.

"Bella?" As arranged with Laura, Jared was home early.

"Happy birthday, Jared." I stepped out of the short hallway in our apartment and into his view.

Before he saw me, he started to say, "It's not till tomorr—lord have mercy." Mission accomplished. Jared's eyes were glazed over, and breathing seemed to be something of a challenge. Which wasn't a surprise at all given what I was wearing—or not wearing, as the case might be. Besides the dress I planned on wearing tomorrow, I'd scored a lucky find in a bit of maternity lingerie: dark emerald green, see-through lace, a mid-thigh length somewhat negated by several slits…

"I would like to officially reach nineteen, you know," Jared's voice was a low growl.

"You will," I promised. "And we're both going to enjoy it."

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Jared POV

"Sorry about that," I apologized to Bella.

"Why? I told you to," she seemed surprised.

"It just looked so nice, I feel bad you only got to wear it once."

Bella leveraged herself out of bed and reached—very deliberately, I thought—for my robe. The sash securely tied over the top of her belly, she leaned over me to whisper, "Don't feel bad—I bought another."

By the time I'd regained my powers of coherence and movement, my wife was already in the kitchen.

"Thank you for the great start to my birthday. I can't wait to see what else you've got planned." Making sure that she wasn't in the middle of using a kitchen appliance, I wrapped my arms around her the way we both loved and delivered a hug.

As usual, Bella's head came back to rest against my chest. "You're welcome. Be thinking of things you'd like to do. We'll have some time before the rest of my plans."

I moved back at Bella's gesture so she could finish cooking. I knew better than to offer to help today; she usually let me assist, but this was my birthday so it wasn't going to happen. Sitting at the kitchen table, I really couldn't think of anything I wanted to do beyond spending time with Bella and my family. "Lunch with the whole family?"

"Already arranged," she threw a smug grin over her shoulder. "The part-timers will cover the store for your parents, and Charlie's even coming, too."

"You are really something, Bella Mahan." And I meant it.

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"Happy Birthday!" Savannah cried, throwing herself into my arms.

"Thanks, sis." Making sure we had room, I swung Sav in a circle.

"Happy 19th, son," dad clapped me on the shoulder.

"Baby," mom nudged Savannah aside and hugged me.

"Love you, too, mom. Thanks for everything."

Mom swiped a hand over her eyes, clearing the moisture. "Come on in, lunch is almost ready. Bella, how are you doing?"

"Great. Getting even bigger, but great."

"Doesn't she look amazing?" I guided Bella into a slow twirl in the hallway.

"Good move," my dad whispered as we all headed for the kitchen.

"Learned from the best," was my reply.

Bella insisted on helping mom get the last few things on the table. When the doorbell rang, mom asked, "Do you mind getting that, Jared?"

"Sure. It's probably Charlie." It was. My father-in-law wore his standard flannel shirt, and carried a long thin, roughly-wrapped package.

"Happy Birthday," he told me, extending the package.

"Thanks, Charlie. Glad you could come."

"Thanks for the invitation."

"I would have, but Bella actually beat me to it. Come on in, lunch is almost ready."

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"Don't you dare, Jared," Bella warned me. In my defense, how else was I supposed to react when she literally _sauntered_ out of our bathroom wearing a drop-dead sexy silky dress? Every last inch of her was caressed by that dress, and my inclination to remove it like I had last night's lacy number must have been obvious. "This was Emily's birthday gift to me, and she wants me to wear it to the wedding next week, too."

I was so torn between wanting everyone to see my gorgeous wife looking so incredibly sexy, and wanting to make sure that _I_ was the only one to see my gorgeous wife looking so incredibly sexy.

"Bella…" I groaned.

"Jared, remember I said I had plans for tonight, and not all of them involve our bed."

"But some do?"

Bella's eyes gleamed, and her tongue gave an appealing sheen to her rosy lips. "_Some_," she agreed. "But _after_ the other plans."

She grabbed a black velvet short jacket and we headed for the car.

"What are we going?" I asked. It was an imminently logical question, at least to me.

"You'll see."

"Will you at least tell me where to go?"

"Mmhmm," Bella murmured noncommittally.

"Bella…"

"Impatient much?" she teased. Was this how she was going to play it? I had the suspicion that she'd gotten some inside information from my mom on how I'd been as a kid.

"You've only been teasing me with this since yesterday, and you wonder that I'm curious? And that's to say nothing about it being pretty darn hard—if not outright impossible—for me to get us there if I don't have a clue where _there_ is."

"I'm sorry," Bella apologized. "I guess I'm having too much fun with this. It's just your first birthday since I met you and—"

"Sweet wonderful Bella, don't ever apologize for enjoying planning something special for me. I'm not upset, really. I just want to know so we can get there, have fun, and then be at home again."

"Is that all you're going to think about tonight?"

"As long as you're in that dress…yes. I don't think I can help it."

"Good." The positively wicked grin I got from Bella told me that this had been precisely her goal. I could only hope to retain enough focus to enjoy the plans Bella had made for our evening.

Surprisingly, I did. She'd given me the instruction to head to Port Angeles, and then to Bella Italia, where we'd celebrated our one-month wedding anniversary. Unlike that visit, this time she seemed to recognize our waitress, to whom she directed an almost challenging female warning. I aided and abetted her by switching to Bella's side of the booth and initiating some tame public teasing.

Afterward, I almost laughed when Bella guided me into an art gallery. "They didn't have the native artifacts show anymore, or I'd've picked that one," she confessed.

I stopped in my tracks. "This is our first date," I realized.

Bella nodded. "And if you're good, we'll stop for ice cream, too." That part I remembered from our double date with Angela and Ben.

"Bella," I breathed into her ear. "We've got ice cream at home."

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Bella POV

Just like with Jared and I, Sam and Emily's wedding experience began at midnight. But that was about the only thing the two ceremonies had in common. A fire was burning in the middle of the clearing, but there were no brush piles like we'd had. Sam wore some sort of leggings, but no shirt—not a new look for him. Emily's outfit had lots of feathers and what looked like soft bark making up her skirt and cloak. Both had their mom standing close beside them; Sam had Embry there, too, and Emily had her sister, as well as Leah, and Seth.

Without a verbal signal, Sue approached Emily and Old Quil did the same with Sam. Both elders were holding dark colored blankets, maybe blue or black, which they wrapped around the bridal couple. A soft drumbeat began as Sam and Emily began walking toward the fire, their families following. The drums faded away as Billy began to speak.

"Samuel Levi Uley and Emily Kathleen Young, you come here tonight to publically begin your life together. Each of you has had a long and difficult path to travel leading you to each other and to this place. While these challenges were not sought, you have met them with honor and courage, and have passed through the dark days and into the light of the love that you share. Let this love wash away all of the pain of the past, soothe all hurts, be a comfort and guide."

"Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty, and fear assail your relationship—as they threaten all relationships at one time or another—remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

As Billy finished, both blue blankets dropped to the ground. Sam's mom approached and the others helped her wrap her son and his bride in a new white blanket. As the families held the blanket, Sam turned to face Emily. A step, and Emily was held close against Sam's chest. Drawing back slightly, he bent, and as always kissed first her scars and then her lips.

"That was beautiful," I commented to Jared as we walked home. His arm had me tucked tightly against his side, sharing his ample body heat.

"It was."

"What did the blankets symbolize?"

"The blue blankets represent their pasts, their loneliness, sorrow, failures…The white blanket symbolizes the happiness, peace, and fulfillment they will have together." Jared's voice was quiet and sober, reflecting his firsthand knowledge of what his—our—friends had been through. It was a good thing he was helping me walk, as my tear-filled eyes weren't seeing much of anything.

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The lead-up to this wedding started much the same as mine. Jared dropped me off at Sue's to get ready before he headed off to bolster Sam.

"This was Emily's idea," I stated when Leah's brows rose over my dress.

"Well, you do look beyond hot, but Emily's got a screw loose if she thinks everyone won't be looking at her anyway."

"You better be right. Is Emily okay?"

"Let's go see."

Sue was helping Emily's mom Denise braid Emily's hair. Emily wore a slim leather dress somewhat like the one I'd worn during my own tribal ceremony, with the feather-bark cloak from last night draped over a chair.

"Emily, you look great," I told her.

"You look beautiful, too, Bella. Leah, is everything set up?"

"Em, will you please let your maid and matron of honor handle things?" Leah chided her cousin. "Everything is fine. Jared is over at Sam's now, so your future husband is in good hands.

"Emmy, Emmy," little Claire's chirpy voice only barely preceded its owner into the room. Her mom, Emily's sister, was only just in time to keep Claire from jumping onto Emily's lap.

"Hello, Claire," Emily told her niece. "You look pretty today."

"I have a new dwess," Claire announced proudly. She spun in a circle to show off the fringed red and black leather dress.

"Aww, I want one of those," I breathed.

Alyssa shared a grin with her sister. "From the looks of it, you're well on your way to that."

I couldn't help a grin of my own. "Yeah, that's true. I mostly meant the dress, though."

"It's handmade. If you like, I'd be happy to show you how to make one."

"Would you? I'd love that."

The next little while was spent getting everyone ready, touching up hair and makeup.

"Is it safe?" Seth called out.

"Yes."

He poked his head in the door. "Holy cow! Sam's going to—Bella, your husband better be able to keep Sam on his feet when he sees Emily. Wow."

"You're not looking too shabby yourself, Seth," I commented.

"Well, I'm not just a pretty face," he teased, finally taking his eyes off his cousin and turning toward me. "Whoa, Bella, has Jared seen this yet?"

"Yes, he has."

"Good thing, or someone'd be holding _him_ up."

Since it was only a short distance back to the ceremonial clearing, we were walking instead of driving. Along the way, we were gradually joined by others apparently coming to act as witnesses. Nods were exchanged but no verbal greetings. The other elders and witnesses were waiting in the clearing. Sam stood near Billy and Old Quil, Jared and Embry nearby. Like last night, a fire was burning, and as we approached, Sam moved to stand near it. I followed Leah's lead to go stand near Billy's other side, while Emily walked until she was standing on the opposite side of the fire from Sam. Both turned until they were facing toward the west, as the rest of us joined hands to form a large circle around them. Paul and Jared were off to the side, each with a large drum between his knees. At some silent signal, a quiet rhythmic beat began.

Sam's and Emily's heads turned to gaze at each other for several minutes. Still looking at her, Sam took a step forward. "Beloved, our love has become firm through you walking as one with me. Together we will share the responsibilities of home, food, and children. May the Creator bless us with noble children to share."

Emily likewise took a step forward, on a circular path that would bring her and Sam together. "This is my commitment to you, husband. I will always walk beside you. Together we will share the responsibilities of home, food, and children."

Another step of Sam's, and, "Beloved, I will love you and you alone as my wife all my days. I will fill your heart with strength and courage. This is my commitment and my pledge to you."

"My husband, at all times I will fill your heart with courage and strength. In your happiness, I shall rejoice."

With each vow they made another step was taken. Their final words as they met at the circle's pinnacle were ones of love and trust and eternal commitment, promises many of us knew had already been made, with the imprinting and their acceptance of it. But these vows were made before the tribe, public and witnessed. I looked up to see that Jared was watching me. It was almost like we were transported back to our own wedding. I wondered if we'd feel this same way at every wedding we attended; I hoped so: it seemed like an affirmation and reminder of our own vows.

With that, the wedding was over. The families, and those of us in the unofficial wedding party, walked over to the community building and into a side room. There, a judge was waiting, to make legally official the promises that Sam and Emily had made to each other.

Then, it was time to party. Leah and I helped Emily change into her reception gown. She'd gone with a slinky number in a reddish-orange color, one that was set of brilliantly by her dusky skin. Seeing her in it, I strongly suspected she and Sam might soon make good on that first vow of theirs.

Sam and Emily's wedding reception was a blast for everyone. The pack members pulled out all the pranks they hadn't pulled with Jared and me. And though I knew he'd never admit it, I strongly suspected that Jared was one of the key instigators. Sam seemed to think so, too.

"This is the thanks I get for laying down the law at your reception?"

"Apparently," Jared grinned unrepentantly.

Sam and Emily had an extended first dance, Brian Adams' "Everything I do" flowing seamlessly into "From this Moment On". Sam tried to pass on having a mother/son dance, since Emily wouldn't get a father/daughter one. Embry wasn't having anything of it.

"Go dance with your mom. I'm claiming a turn with my new sister." Pushing Sam in the right direction, Embry took Emily's hand and whirled her back onto the dance floor. I hadn't realized he was such good dancer, but I probably should have, I decided. All of them were, actually; that wolf-grace obviously carried over.

"A little different this time, huh?" Jared queried.

"Just a little bit. Just lead me right, the way you always have—I can't see my feet anymore."

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Jared POV

With everything going on in November, Bella and I had had to get creative in scheduling her prenatal appointment. Everything had been going great, and I was eager to hear what Sue could tell us today.

"Well, congratulations. You're now 2/3 of the way through this." Sue told us, hanging her stethoscope around her neck after checking both Bella's heart rate and the baby's.

"Wow."

"Now that you're into the third trimester, we'll want to schedule the appointments every two weeks instead of every four."

"Why?" Bella asked.

"You're getting closer to d-day, and this just lets us keep closer track of all the developments in the last three months."

"Okay, we can do that."

"Anything new to expect or be watching for?" I asked.

"Keep an eye on how much time you spend on your feet, Bella. Leg cramps can happen if you're too active or aren't drinking enough fluids. Also, I know you'll be busy with the holidays, but you really should get signed up for a childbirth class. Bella, I know you'll feel more comfortable and in control if you know what to expect, and it'll help you, too, Jared, to support her. Here's some information about upcoming classes at the Forks Hospital; we don't have enough demand down on the rez for our own classes, usually."

"What about delivery?" Bella asked.

"You've got options. Obviously, there's the hospital, but you could also come here to the clinic if you want."

"What about at home?"

"We can talk about it, but I'm not sure I'll recommend it. You are young and healthy, but with a first baby, it could be best to have medical equipment nearby."

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Bella POV

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Bella Mahan?"

"Yes, it is."

"My name is Katherine Cantwell, and I saw your catering flyer here in Port Angeles. I would like to know if you and your partner might have time for a consultation."

"My partner isn't available this week, but I could handle a meeting. When and where did you want to meet?

I popped into the store on my way out, just to let Jared know I was leaving. "Have a catering consult in Port Angeles. Would you be okay with takeout tonight? I won't have time to cook."

Jared grinned at me. "Bella, I think I'm capable of cooking sometimes. Granted, I'm not in your class, but I can do more than pull stuff out of the freezer."

"I know, but you work all day and—"

"And _you_'_re_ starting a business that revolves around cooking. I'll handle dinner tonight. Go drum up some more business, 'kay?"

One of our favorite Muse CDs played in the stereo as I drove to Port Angeles. I had definitely come to relish the end to the vampire threat, in the simple act of being able to go places on my own again, of not having an escort everywhere or having to stay home for safety. As the miles passed, I went through my mental checklist of things to discuss with the potential client. While we couldn't have moved any faster, Emily and I weren't starting our business at the most convenient time. Granted, we were already getting holiday bookings covering Thanksgiving and Christmas requests, but I was now into my third trimester, and moving around or reaching the stove were going to become a lot more challenging.

I arrived at the café where the—hopefully—client had requested we meet. "Breathe, Bella, breathe," I ordered myself. "Okay, keys, notepad, brochure, price lists, contract…that's everything. A quick check in the visor mirror, and I exited my car and headed for the café door. Once inside, I started scanning for the blonde hair and purple top Ms. Cantwell had told me to look for.

When I found them…My blood chilled and my heart froze when I got a good look at "Katherine Cantwell". My first thought was that she had the same sort of outrageously gorgeous blonde beauty as Rosalie…and she wasn't alone.


	67. Argument and Aftermath

AN: I would say 'sorry' for the cliffie I gave you last time, but…I'm really not. I did get a fair number of responses, so I guess it got your attention, and one of you guessed right on who it was. I hope you enjoy the revelation to come.

Molly: Thank you. I love getting compliments like that. I will definitely keep updating until this story is done, and then I'll move on to the next one I've got brewing.

Anonymous Reviewer: I'm sorry (sorta). In my defense, I don't usually do cliffhangers so I can hopefully be forgiven for using one every so often. I worked to get this up as quickly as I could.

Dfg: Thanks for reviewing. I hope this came soon enough.

Twilightfan: Thanks. I thought they were due for a little drama after a couple months of calm.

561lou: Thank you. Glad to hear it's getting better (don't want it to go the other way).

Alice: You're welcome. I'm glad you love the story. I try to write as fast as I can, but sometimes life/school/muse doesn't always cooperate.

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Bella POV

My blood chilled and my heart froze when I got a good look at "Katherine Cantwell". My first thought was that she had the same sort of outrageously gorgeous blonde beauty as Rosalie…and she wasn't alone. She was flanked by two other equally stunning blonde women.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing here?" I hissed, knowing they'd be able to hear me. I briefly debated trying to leave, but they were able to move much faster than me even without factoring in the pregnancy. Besides, leaving the sight of the other occupants of the café wouldn't be the best idea either. Not that it would stop them if they did plan anything nefarious, but it would probably delay them or make them reconsider. Realizing that I ought to find out what this was all about, I began the walk from the door to the table where they were sitting.

"Bella Mahan?"

"Yes." I knew I wasn't sounding polite, but given what they were, it was a sure thing they weren't booking a catering job so I didn't feel the need to show much in the way of manners. I sat down in the empty chair—no reason not to be comfortable.

"Did you used to go by the name of Swan?"

"That's my maiden name. I've used Mahan since I got married this summer. Who exactly are you? I somehow doubt I got your real name over the phone."

"I apologize for misleading you about my name—it is actually Kate, but Cantwell is just the name of a town near our home in Denali—the surname we typically use. I wasn't sure you'd agree to meet with me if I gave that name, though. These are my sisters, Tanya and Irina."

I looked appraisingly at each. From the depths of my memory floated the recollection of a description I'd gotten once about the other group of vegetarian vampires, the ones the Cullens had referred to as their cousins and the ones they'd encouraged Laurent to go join. Tanya was a name I remembered from a passing comment of Edward's, about the Denali cousin who was a lot more interested in him than he'd been in her. I couldn't see why he'd passed her up in favor of me—she was beyond gorgeous. Now that I was lost to him might he be a little more willing to consider her now? Not that I really cared, but I did want him to find peace and happiness.

"What do you want from me? If you're looking for the Cullens, they left here over a year ago and didn't exactly leave a forwarding address."

"But they left you?" I wasn't quite sure what to make of Tanya's question, nor was I inclined to waste much effort wondering.

"Obviously. More than a year ago. Also obviously, I've moved on." I brought my hands up to rest on the top of my stomach, my wedding ring clearly visible.

"We're not here to ask about the Cullens," Irina told me. "Do you—can you tell me—do you know where Laurent might be?" Irina's voice lacked some of the musical quality I'd always associated with her kind, probably related to the pain in her eyes. Irina…her eyes were open wounds, just like Edward's had been, like her heart had been broken. It only took a moment for me to guess why: she had been—perhaps still was—in love with Laurent. From the way he'd left her behind to dance to Victoria's tune, it didn't seem like he'd returned her feelings, though. Laurent might not have cared for her, but she obviously had cared for him. Were we about to face more trouble? Another vampire seeking to avenge her mate?

"Why do you think I'd know anything?" Oh, how much I knew, but why had they thought to come to me for information?

"He said he met you before he joined us, the day the Cullens told him about us. He left Alaska early this year, 'Something to take care of,' he said. I haven't heard from him since. His scent tracked to this area but then it vanished. The Cullens—"

"Have you talked to them?" I thought she must not have, or she'd already known the answer to her question.

"Yes, but they said they hadn't seen or heard from him since that day here. They said they'd keep an eye out."

I stared at her in shock, my mouth hanging open.

"What?"

"I can't believe them. Me, you—hell, they must even lie to themselves."

"What do you mean?" Tanya interjected.

"Irina, they could 'keep an eye out' for him for the rest of eternity and it wouldn't gain anyone anything. They won't find him."

Her worry-filled bronze eyes met mine. "He's not—"

"I'm sorry." And I actually was sorry for her pain, though definitely not for Laurent's ultimate and final death.

"How?"

"He lied to you, it seems. He met up with his old coven-mate, Victoria, and came here as a favor to her. I don't know how hard he tried at the new diet while he was in Alaska, but it didn't take. By the time he got back here in late February his eyes were bright red again. He was supposed to report back to her on whether the Cullens were still protecting me, but I guess he was too thirsty and I was too tempting for my own good—he decided to kill me instead."

"But you're still—" Kate started to say.

"Alive? Yeah. He didn't know it, but I _was_ being protected, just not by the Cullens. My protectors…well, they did their job protecting me and everyone else here. Laurent and Victoria were killing lots of hikers and campers; dozens of people died because of them."

"Dozens?" Tanya asked.

"Look it up—there were lots of news articles."

"Who—or what—was protecting you?"

"Why are you asking? For revenge, like Victoria coming after me because the Cullens killed her mate, James? If it's that, I'm not saying another word. Vengeance won't solve anything, won't make you hurt any less."

"What would you know of hurt, human? Of the pain of losing your soul mate?" Irina hissed. Part of me was amazed that no one from the wait staff in the café had approached us about ordering, but it was probably due to the intimidating beauty of the majority at the table.

"More than I'd like," I shot back. "After Edward came back from his run to Alaska, we became close—rather, he became my whole world. But really he was an over-controlling boyfriend who lied to 'protect' me, who insisted on knowing what I wanted yet categorically refused to consider giving it to me; a real masochist. When he decided his family had to leave, that he—they—were too dangerous for me…he broke me, almost destroyed me. I was a zombie for six months. I barely ate. What little sleep I got was filled with nightmares…it was as if I'd died, only my heart still beat. I couldn't even bear to hear their names without feeling like I'd shatter into a million pieces. It really wasn't until I met Jared that I realized how twisted and wrong Edward and I's relationship had been, how fixated he'd been on protecting me from everything, including myself. He never really listened to me or what I wanted. He was an idiot, a bastard—well, you get the idea. He destroyed me and Jared brought me back. I used to think that I didn't deserve Edward, but really _he_ didn't deserve _me_. If Laurent could walk away from you, he was obviously too stupid or self-absorbed to appreciate what he had and you're better off without him. Not that it won't still hurt like hell until you find that someone better, but it's out there if you're willing to look."

They all sat there, staring at me like I'd grown a second head, and honestly, who could blame them? They'd only just met me and here I was spewing all of this out. But looking at Irina was reminding me of myself and Leah, too—both of us left behind with no explanations or understanding. Thinking about how we'd been helped gave me an idea. "Sorry for rambling there. Basically, if you're out for revenge, I'm not telling you anything more about what happened to Laurent. But, if you're asking because you need to know for your own peace of mind, I can tell you more if you swear never to seek vengeance. I know what it's like to need answers—I had to wait a whole year for mine._"_

"I need answers—I need to know," Irina told me. "I swear to you: no vengeance."

"I swear also." "I do as well," Kate and Tanya echoed.

I nodded, and tried to think of what I might say to give Irina her answers while also keeping as much secret as possible. "My protectors guard this area against those like you who follow the traditional diet. Laurent clearly fell into that category when they encountered him, even if he hadn't been about to add me to his total. If he hadn't come here at Victoria's instigation, nothing would have happened. But protecting people is what they do, and they're good at it."

"But who—what—are they?"

"I'm not sure I should say. They've had an agreement with the Cullens for years, mutual secrecy. You aren't Cullens so…"

"Wait, you said you got your answers. From the Cullens?"

"Yes. Two months ago."

"Did you tell them about Laurent?"

I nodded.

"Why wouldn't they tell me?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard from them since, so I don't know. But, maybe they were trying to be kind and spare you painful details. Or maybe they weren't sure what you'd do if you knew, and they were trying to protect me this time around, trying to make amends." I wasn't sure if this was it, but it did almost sound like something they'd do.

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I parked my car outside Sam's place. The pack had met here today to do some work on the cabin as a surprise for Sam and Emily when they got back from their honeymoon in a few days.

"Hey, Bella," the chorus greeted me as I stepped up onto the porch and into the cabin.

"Hi, everyone."

"Ugh, what's that?"

An instant later, "hell" was the mildest word echoing in the air.

"Bella, why the hell do you smell like leeches?" My husband's nostrils—and the other guys', too, flared.

"That's who the potential client was—and her sisters. We had a nice little chat and then I came home."

"Had a nice little chat? What kind of twisted alternate reality are we in here?" Jared spun around from where he'd paced away.

"Mine, apparently. It was the Denali sisters, the ones who are sort-of cousins to the Cullens, from up in Alaska. Irina had been in some kind of relationship with Laurent and was trying to find out what happened to him."

"So you just sat down and talked with them to find all that out?"

"Why are you freaking out? I'm fine."

"Why am I freaking out? You just got cozy with some strange leeches."

"Vegetarians."

"Vampires. One of whom—by your own admission—is in love with that bastard Laurent we killed early this year!"

Was this some kind of guy thing: freaking out over something that was over and done with? "Jared, _I'm fine_."

"Don't you realize she could have been just like Victoria, out for revenge? Why didn't you call me? Or any of us?" His voice was harsh and stressed.

"She wasn't, alright? She just needed answers."

"Answers? Right."

Whether he meant it to happen or not, his anger was sparking my own. I couldn't believe that he seemed to have something in common with Edward after all? Of course, I knew that there had been some danger or at least risk. But I'd also known that there was nothing the pack could do about it. Even if I _had_ called someone, they'd all been here, and all they could have done was get caught up in the aftermath once they finally got to Port Angeles. "Yes, answers. _Just like me_," I hissed. "Damn it, Jared, why are you acting prejudiced like this? Do you really think that she didn't deserve to know what happened to him? Why was I entitled to answers, yet she wasn't? Just because I'm still human and she isn't? Damn it." Suddenly, I felt claustrophobic, as if our anger was absorbing every molecule of oxygen. With coordination that belied my advanced state of pregnancy, I spun around and stalked toward the door.

"Bella!" someone called out. I didn't turn and just kept walking. I kept walking for a while, until my anger faded away and I realized it was chilly out. With my anger gone, I could also think more clearly, and realized that Jared's anger had been sparked by fear. We'd gotten so used to how things were now, and out of the blue this had catapulted him back to the old days.

"Why didn't he listen to me?" I whispered. Abruptly, I realized that a lot of other people _had_ been listening to our argument. Yet again, my body gave in to its tendency to open the waterworks when I felt embarrassed. Our first knock down drag out fight—our first-ever fight, really—had been witnessed by nearly the entire pack, including his siblings. I stopped and scrubbed my hands over my face. It was probably surprising that it had taken this long, or maybe not: the imprint, the vampire threats, my nature to put others before myself…I didn't regret how I'd handled the meeting today, but I felt…I wasn't angry anymore and even my embarrassment was fading. Now I just felt hurt that he'd reacted this way, even if his protective wolf instincts were responsible. Maybe the chill I was feeling was on the inside as well as the outside. Looking around, I saw that I'd unconsciously been walking home and was glad my body had known where I needed to go.

Inside, I didn't go farther than the couch. I curled up around my stomach and let the tears fall.

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Jared POV

It was with utter and complete disbelief that I stood frozen as Bella turned away and waddled out, ignoring Jake's call of her name.

"What the hell is going on here?" Leah asked.

"How the hell should I know?" I snapped.

"Easy, Jared," Embry tried to calm me.

"She-they-why-she-" Coherence was clearly beyond me. "She left."

"You were practically yelling at her," Rachel retorted. "Naturally, she left."

The look on my face must have been something, because Paul took a step to get in front of his imprint. "Jared, man, you need to breathe. You're not running on all cylinders here."

"And you would be?"

He took a heavy breath. "I don't know. If we'd been through everything you and Bella have...I don't know. Maybe I'd be reacting just like you are. But-I hope I've learned enough by now to think first and not shoot off a knee-jerk reaction to something just because I don't like it."

"Are you saying that's what I'm doing?"

"Yes," Jacob cut in.

"_She could have been killed!_" I snarled. "And I-"

"Wouldn't have been able to do anything," he finished for me. "That's probably exactly why she _didn't_ call or text. And let's face it, Bella's good with weird, and what's weird to a normal person is perfectly normal to her."

"Jared," Rachel spoke again. "Bella handled it. Maybe not the way you would have liked, but she did it. And the first words out of your mouth when she told you was criticism. Bella isn't a doormat, and that's not what you want her to be. Pull your head out and use it now."

A deep breath and I pushed my anger aside. I knew—rationally—that I was scared more than anything else. _If you're scared, stop and think_, my dad had always said. So, that's what I did. As my mind cleared, my chest began to ache, like a hole was opening up. Bella. Out of my fear, I'd hurt my imprint. How could I have done this? Overreacted this way? Bella had handled herself well and I'd blown things out of proportion, had all but accused her of being irresponsible and reckless with her and our daughter's safety. I started to sag as my muscles contracted—my imprint's pain affecting me.

"You okay, bro?" Embry's hand was under my elbow to hold me up.

"I just hurt my imprint and stuck my foot in my mouth all the way down to my ass. How the hell do you think I feel right now?" My free hand went to my forehead, the one attached to the elbow he held reaching to my chest. I pulled my arm free and sank to the floor. My senses told me that the pack was surrounding me, but I could focus on nothing besides the pain. For the first time, I really and truly understood exactly what Sam had gone through when he'd hurt Emily. She'd forgiven him, just as Bella would me—and much sooner than either of us deserved. It was Bella's nature to be forgiving, but nothing could excuse the fact that I'd screwed up big time.

"Jared," Jacob's voice was compelling, not quite an Alpha tone, but still one that insisted on attention. "Bella is out there somewhere. Get your ass out there and make this right." He pulled me to my feet and all but shoved me out the door.

I inhaled deeply, trying to figure out which way she'd gone. I'd have to do this human, since I couldn't take the chance of stripping and then needing clothes I no longer had with me. Heading the way she'd walked, her scent led me straight home. Her pain was palpable in the air. I walked into our apartment, but planned to get down on my knees as soon as I saw her. Bella was curled up in a ball on the couch and I could smell the salt of her tears and hear the hitches in her breathing. The vice clamping my chest and guts tightened.

"Bella?" I whispered. She sniffled noisily. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I was a jerk, an idiot, an asshole—"

"A wonderful ass who loves me," she cut in.

"Please, don't forgive me like that. I had no right to say any of that." As I'd known she would, she was trying to excuse me, but I knew that I didn't deserve that.

"You were worried," Bella continued.

I put a finger gently to her lips. "Which was even more reason for me to think before I said anything. No matter how scared I was, I never should have blown up at you that way." I'd long since dropped down to sit on the floor, pressing my temple against her leg lying along the edge of the couch. "You handled things and I belittled you for it. How much more of an idiot could I have been?"

Bella's body shifted and her fingers began to thread through my hair. "One who loves me but didn't pick a good way to show it." She sighed. "It's foolish for us—any of us—to think we won't have arguments. But it really hurt, Jared, what you said. I know I don't have the special senses and abilities that you do, but I've always been good at taking care of myself in the normal things."

"Even the abnormal things, too," was my reply. Venturing a glance upward, I saw that Bella had stopped crying, though tear-tracks still streaked her face. Shifting to my knees, I stripped off my shirt, using a water bottle left on the coffee table to dampen the fabric and gently wipe Bella's face until every last tearstain was gone. Seeing no objection from my wife, I stood up and then eased myself down onto the couch, wrapping myself around her. "I am so sorry that I hurt you, Bella. That's the last thing I ever want to do. I will make this up to you somehow."

"I know that you didn't mean to, and I'll be okay. I don't expect either of us to not make mistakes or upset one another, but we have to learn from them when we do. I don't want—I can't—go through this again."

"I will." It was a vow I'd do everything in my power to keep every day for the rest of my life.

Bella and I were quiet for the rest of the evening—the fight had sobered both of us, and I don't think either of us really knew what was next. We got ready for bed in silence and for the first time in a long time sex was the last thing on either of our minds. It was a long time before I fell asleep that night. I held Bella close long after her breathing had deepened into sleep. My mind replayed the argument and aftermath, wondering yet again how this could have happened. The imprinting between Bella and I had gone so smoothly almost from the beginning, so how could I have screwed things up like this now? I should have remembered from Sam and Emily that imprinting didn't mean the objects couldn't still hurt each other. We would all, as Bella had implied, have to be careful and put out the effort to prevent incidents like this from happening to anyone else. My wakefulness also meant that I was given rare exposure to Bella's sleep-talking, although it killed me to listen.

"No, Jared, listen. Please listen. I'm fine. I'm here. I love you. Don't be angry."

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There was an air of constraint between us when we woke up in the morning. Bella had said that she forgave me, but I'd obviously forfeited a measure of trust with my blow-up. Observers that they were, my parents noticed when we entered the store and deftly directed us in separate directions.

"Something going on between you two?" my dad asked, with the tone of a parent or teacher who already knows the answer to their question.

"That obvious?" I tried—unsuccessfully—to make light of it.

"When it comes to our son and daughter-in-law, yes, it is obvious to us. Especially since you haven't acted like this before."

I really and truly needed by dad's advice right now Even though he didn't know many things about my life of the past couple years, he and my mom had been married for over 20 years. "I screwed up. I was concerned about something Bella did and it came out sounding like I didn't think she could handle it or take care of herself. Bella forgave me—that's the kind of person she is, but…"

"She is. But sometimes forgiving is easier than forgetting." Dad sat on the edge of the desk. "I'm sorry. It feels like I've let you down somehow. You and Bella have done so well at your relationship so far that your mom and I haven't seen any reason to step in and offer much advice on that side of things. It's hard to remember that you're both only 19 and only four months married. You've been having your honeymoon phase, but that, like all good things, must come to an end."

"Great Star Trek quote, dad."

"I know, and don't change the subject. Every married couple, every couple that truly and deeply cares, will have disagreements. That's not a problem. The problems can come with how they deal with those disagreements. You and Bella _have_ to keep communicating. Let her get everything out that she needs to, even if you don't agree with it; she'll need to do the same for you. You can restore trust, Jared. It will just take longer than losing it did."

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Bella POV

Laura and I walked back up to the apartment. After helping me to sit down, she asked, "Bella, would you like to talk? I can see that something's bothering you."

"Jared and I had an argument last night, and we're trying to get past it."

"Have you two talked about it?" Laura looked concerned.

"Before we went to sleep. We did take a few minutes alone first and then he started apologizing as soon as he walked into the living room."

"Would I be out of line asking why you argued? But don't feel like you have to answer, Bella; you can just tell me if I'm being a nosy mother-in-law."

I'd never thought that of her, and didn't now. I knew she just wanted things to be good between Jared and me. Renee and I hadn't been ones for deep heart-to-heart conversations about my problems, so I didn't have much experience with this, but I did want some advice. While I couldn't tell Laura exactly what the fight had been about, I could generalize.

"He just overreacted to me not calling when I ran late in Port Angeles yesterday."

"You don't owe him a minute-by-minute accounting of your time, Bella," Laura told me. "That said, you are in your last trimester now, so updates in situations like that might be a good idea just so that none of us worry."

"I know, and I did think of that afterward. I guess it was just that I reacted to feeling like I wasn't considered able to look after myself."

"Jared's our firstborn, and looking after others seems to be a trait of those children. He's always done that for the twins, lately with the tribe, and now you. And I remember that my pregnancies made James take protectiveness to a whole new level. Somehow, I think Jared's taking after his father here."

"Yeah," a faint laugh escaped me. "I've noticed that. I like it, usually. I've always felt like I've looked for my parents, even when they might not have needed it…it's nice having Jared do that for me now. I'm just enough of a 21st Century girl that I still want some independence even though I'm married and pregnant."

"And that's just what you ought to have. I'm sure Jared will be getting some advice from his father on balancing things."

"Any for me?"

"Jared will certainly say things in the next couple months that will get under your skin. Just remember that he probably doesn't mean it and that he loves you. I know that I was more sensitive to the things James said when I was pregnant, and I found that taking a few deep breaths and a minute to think before I replied to him helped me to get the better of my hormones. I want you to know that we're here for you any time you need to talk or vent."

"Thanks."

Our respective parental chats done, James and Laura both told us to take the day to talk and reconnect. Jared called Jake to say we were fine and he said he'd pass the word and keep the pack away.

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Jared POV

Bella and I spent the rest of the day talking, and I gave her the chance to do what I'd denied her the night before and explain in detail everything that had happened at the café. I was proud of how she'd dealt with this unexpected situation, although it made me feel bad again for how I'd acted. That part of me thought it sounded like a good idea to call up the Cullens to chew them out for this tangle. Bella disagreed, though. "They're not planning to tell the Cullens how they found out—trying to keep family harmony. Alice wouldn't have been able to see them come here, so if they can just not think about this around Edward, they ought to be okay." I wasn't sure I bought that, but I didn't really care what the leeches wanted to do.

"Okay, now we're done with this," Bella informed me. "I am not going to let this keep affecting us. We've dealt with it, now we're going to move on. Whenever Edward felt he'd done something wrong where I was concerned, he'd brood about it for days—it annoyed the hell out of me. _Do not_ even think about trying it. Got it?"

"Loud and clear. Brooding cancelled. Now what?"

We debated more baby names, lightening the mood by deliberately picking outlandish names that should be inflicted on a family pet, much less a baby.

After lunch, Bella insisted on cuddling. My inner wolf liked that, and I thought it was a good way to start proving myself to her again. Our snuggling was interrupted with what she termed the "obligatory make-up sex".

"It's our first fight," she smirked while I gaped at her. "Isn't that what's supposed to happen after a couple fights?"

"Yesterday I—and now you—"

"Now _we_," she corrected.

"I love you so much, Bella. Even when I'm being an ass, I love you."

"I know. Now prove it."

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AN: This chapter didn't quite unfold the way I intended when I began it. The cliffhanger from the end of the last chapter, and its aftermath took over this chapter and were more involved than I'd originally expected. So the teaser that was sent to reviewers of #66 ended up getting pushed to the chapter after this one. Hope you liked this one.


	68. Steps

Molly: Thanks. Glad you liked it. Hope this came soon enough.

Alice: I'm glad you think the story's worth waiting for. That's basically how I feel about new chapters. If I'm not happy with it, I keep working on it until it's ready to post.

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Jared POV

"Are you and Bella okay?" Savannah asked me.

"Yeah, we're fine."

"Please don't fight like that again", she begged. "I didn't like it."

"I didn't like it, either," I replied. It wasn't surprising that Savannah had been upset by Bella's and my argument. Our parents had never fought like that—at least never where we'd know about it. And with as close as my wife and sister had become…

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Bella POV

Emily and I were only a few days away from delivering on our first catering job, and we were both a little nervous. We'd both been cooking for years, but there was something different about doing it when we'd be getting paid.

"Taste testers ready and awaiting orders," Jake teased.

"We're just making pies for this one," I protested.

"Quality control, Bella. Can't have you two delivering substandard pies." For that, he got a whack on the knuckles from the wooden spoon Emily held.

"Want to try that one again?"

"Yeah, sure. Want to make sure you two knock it out of the park on your first at-bat."

"Better."

"Please?" Seth gave us his best puppy-dog expression, and Emily and I both caved.

"All right, I told him. "We do need to see how they taste the way we've done them." Our husbands had tasted the first, fresh, round, but we were a little nervous about the advance prep method we were trying now.

"How's that?"

"We made them, and then partially baked the pies before freezing them. We thawed and finished baking them just today. We've got cherry, apple, and boysenberry."

"I'm game," Paul told us.

Rachel gave him a look. "You're always game where food is concerned."

"It must be a guy thing," I giggled. Rachel rolled her eyes, but grinned and agreed with me.

Slices of pie were cut and distributed. Within minutes a bunch of teenage guys had pie-stained faces.

"Yum. More?" Collin asked. Brady elbowed him in the side.

"Don't be a pig."

"I'm not a pig, I'm a wolf," was the superior reply.

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"Hi, Mrs. Weber. Hi, Angela," I greeted our first official clients when Emily and I delivered the fruit pies they'd ordered.

"Hello, Bella, Emily. Can we help you with those?"

"We've got them balanced perfectly," Emily replied. "Where would you like us to put them?"

"In the kitchen is fine for now."

"Bella, you look great," Angela gushed. "How are you?"

"Good. Getting bigger every day and a little more tired."

"I can see the change since your shower last month. But really, you do look wonderful."

"Thanks. You look good, too. How do you like college?"

"It's a lot of work, but my classes are interesting and I've got some good instructors. I just wish I'd gotten lucky like Ben and gotten a dorm assignment that was closer to my class buildings. It wasn't too bad before, but it's not as fun now that the weather's cold all the time."

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Jared POV

"Well, they're off," I commented to Sam. Bella and Emily were now diving into their new business.

"Yeah. Em was up at the crack of dawn today." He shook his head.

"Bella was up early, too. She was so jumpy I thought she was going to hurl."

"I sure hope you didn't tell her that."

He got a dirty look for that. "Give me some credit, Sam. I _can_ learn. I never want to go through something like that again."

"It's hell, and not something you'd want to repeat," my friend agreed. "So are the two of you alright now?"

I nodded. "We've talked a lot about it. It's almost like we'd just assumed the imprinting would take care of everything and that we'd never have that kind of problem. Now we all know it might not work that way."

"And?"

"And I'm not sorry for how I felt—Bella isn't either, for her part—but we get that we didn't go about communicating that the right way. We're both probably going to feel a little guilty about that for a while."

"I know I still do, with what happened to Emily. Maybe it's a consequential humility factor, a warning to use what we are with caution."

"Okay, enough with the heavy." We both needed to lighten up. "Any big plans for Thanksgiving?"

"You kidding? We just got back from our honeymoon. Thanks for that tip, by the way. That lodge is great."

"Think it'll become a tradition for the other imprinted couples?"

Sam shrugged. "Dunno. Wouldn't be a bad one if it did."

"Right. So, _any_ plans for Thanksgiving?"

"I think we're going up to Makah this time. Spend time with Em's extended family. Daniel was saying that he wants to bring Leah up, introduce her to his family, too."

"'bout time for that. Wonder if she'll relocate?"

"Wouldn't surprise me. Home or not, she's got a lot of bad memories attached to here."

Things were quiet for a while.

"So what are you and Bella doing, now that you know my plans?"

"Going down to Portland. My aunt and uncle offered to host."

"Bella doesn't want to nest and do all of it herself?"

I laughed. "Part of her does, I guess, but it's the perfect chance to get out of town for a few days before the baby comes. Christmas is getting a little too close to D-day for a long trip, plus the weather'd be more of a potential problem by then."

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Bella POV

"Happy Thanksgiving!" I smiled as Jared's aunt gave me a hug and tugged me inside her house. She'd insisted to Laura that the Oregon branch of the family needed to get to know me better and that this was the perfect time. "How was the drive?"

"A little long, but we stopped regularly," I replied.

"Yeah," Drew grumbled, "Every hour."

"Bro, one day _your_ wife will make you eat those words if you say them to her." Jared gave him a look.

"Sorry."

It was great getting better acquainted with more of Jared's family. He grumbled good-naturedly when they told embarrassing childhood stories about him. The wolf did peek out a time or two when several of his cousins got a little too touchy-feely with my stomach, even though he kept the words mild. "Ease up and wait for an invitation."

"Sorry about that," Jared said when we had a moment alone.

"I'm okay. I know that it's something most people just can't help doing, but—"

"If you don't want it, they shouldn't get away with it."

"It'll be alright."

"You've seemed a little quiet this last little while. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Just feeling a little bad that we aren't with my dad today. It isn't that I don't want to spend time with your family—I do," she hurried to add. "I just feel like he's being left out."

"I know. He's not alone, though, remember? Sue said she'd drag him down to La Push if she had to, for that dinner with Billy and his family."

"I do remember, I still feel bad, anyway."

"I wish there was a perfect solution, Bella, truly. But we're not the only couple to have to juggle families and holidays. We'll get Christmas with Charlie, which he did say he was fine with, and figure the rest out as we go along."

"You're right. And it did make sense to travel for Thanksgiving this time; I'm not sure how fond I'll be of long car rides in another month."

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"Jared, where are we going?"

"You'll see. It's quite the tourist destination. My aunt and uncle insisted I bring you down here." We exited the parking garage, turned, and walked to the end of the block. Jared put his hands on my shoulders and turned me.

"Wow." I knew my mouth had to be hanging open. We were standing just under the overhang at a store entrance. The support pillar for the overhang was in the shape of a pile of books. I walked through the door Jared held open for me, but stopped dead in my tracks. I had just walked into an enormous bookstore. This room was filled with checkout counters, display tables and shelves, and tall bookshelves like a library. Off to the left was a doorway leading into another similar room. A flight of stairs led to another such doorway, and continued upward.

"Welcome to Powell's," Jared told me.

"Wow," I said again. Jared's arm circled my waist and helped me navigate the three steps down to the main floor of the room. He led me toward an information desk and picked up a brochure. It turned out to unfold into a large map.

"Powell's is the said to be the largest bookstore in the country. It takes up this entire block of downtown Portland, and has four different levels and nine rooms."

"The map has a key showing which room a given topic or genre will be found in, and the room maps show the general shelf location for items within those categories," the employee at the desk informed us. "There are also overhead signs to offer guidance, and each room has an information desk if you have questions."

"Thanks," Jared answered for us both. I was still trying to recover my powers of speech. "Bella?" he inquired when I still didn't say anything.

"You brought me to a bookstore?"

"For as long as you want to."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you have a room you'd like to visit first, or should we just wander?" He held the store map up so that I could look it over.

"The blue room has classics…children's in the pink room…"

"We can do those first then. There's a café beside the gold room with tables we can sit at and look through the books."

"But what about you? You get to pick something, too, not just me."

"The purple room, then. History."

We spent hours in the store. I was grateful for the elevator to get from one floor to another, and the in-store café where we could sit and browse through the books we found. "Thank you. This was amazing."

"Maybe we can make it a tradition any time there's a family get-together down here."

"I'd like that."

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Jared POV

"Glad we went?" I asked Bella as we unpacked our bags. The normal follow-up ritual of tossing dirty clothes in the hamper wasn't happening this time—my aunt had refused to send us home with bags full of clothes we'd then need to launder.

"Yes, I'm glad. It was a good trip and very informative."

I groaned good-naturedly. "I was a mischievous kid—that can't be held against me."

"By me, no. Our kids…"

"Great."

"You have to know that what goes around comes around, right? You think the family's going to resist telling our kids about how you'd put shaving cream in your dad's shoes, or replacing the Oreo filling in cookies you gave to the twins, or putting shoe polish on your friends' swim goggles, or—"

"I get it. We're toast." I knew she was right—the pranks I'd pulled as a kid were too classic not to get passed down to future generations.

Going to bed was getting a little more challenging now. On a weekly basis it seemed like another pillow magically appeared on the bed for Bella's comfort. Good thing we had a nice big bed to fit all of us. We also had to point a fan straight at the bed to keep Bella from over-heating. Sue had made the suggestion when Bella had asked her about it. It probably would seem a little odd to most people, especially with winter coming up fast, but it would only be for a little while, and this way we wouldn't have to completely overhaul our sleeping arrangements.

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Bella POV

It was one of those dreams where I knew I was dreaming and was watching things just like a movie. I stood on the porch of a little house watching children play: a young girl and a little boy. Both children had strongly native coloring and features, but the girl's hair was wavy and the boy's eyes were a lighter brown. Jared had an arm around each of their waists and was spinning around in a circle so that the kids flew like airplanes. I could hear baby noises and somehow knew I was holding an infant.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" The voice over my shoulder startled me, the more so because I shouldn't be hearing it. My grandma Marie, whom I'd always called Gram, had died years ago when I was a kid. There was no way she could be here watching my kids. Yet, hadn't I been regretting that my children would only know their great-grandparents on Jared's side? Why was I complaining about somehow being granted my wish?

"Gram." I turned, and there she was, wearing one of those old-fashioned floral house-dresses she'd always loved.

"Bella. I'm so happy for you. This is just what I always hoped for you."

"I am happy. Jared is so wonderful. I just wish…"

"I know. But it's alright. The bitter times only make the sweet moments seem even sweeter. Treasure every moment and memory."

"I do. Gram, I miss you."

"I miss you, too, sweetie. Be happy."

Suddenly, she was no longer standing beside me. I turned around, to see if she'd just stepped back toward the house, but I was alone on the porch.

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"Bella! Bella!" Jared's worried voice, and his hands gently shaking me, brought me out of the dream. "Oh, thank goodness."

"Hold me, please," I requested.

"Always." Shoving some pillows around, Jared leaned us both back against them. "What was it?"

"Just a dream. A really weird dream, but just a dream." I knew it would sound like I was downplaying it, but I hadn't had time yet to think about what, if any, meaning it might have.

"Share it?"

"Okay."

When I was done, "You're right, that was a little strange. Did it upset you?"

"Actually, the opposite. I'm glad Gram got to see our family, even if it was only in a dream. I'm more wondering if the baby will really look like the girl in my dream."

"I don't know. Sue might be able to tell us. Just from what I've seen of other mixed-heritage kids, the odds are probably good our kids will look more Native than Caucasian. Would you like it if she did resemble the girl you dreamed?"

"I suppose. I mean, it doesn't really matter what she looks like as long as she's healthy. But it was…well, nice, I guess, to have her look like both of us."

"Fingers crossed then. Now about our kids…you saw a girl and a boy and…?"

"I don't know. I didn't look down to see. Besides, with babies it might not be as easy to tell just with a glance."

"Do you think it means we'll decide to find out the gender the second time around, but then be surprised the next time?"

I laughed. "How should I know? It _could_ just have been a dream and not a vision of the future. And let me get through labor and delivery with this one before we start talking about #2 and #3."

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Jared POV

After moving the baby carrier/car seat box from one side of the nursery to the other and back again due to Bella's nesting urges, I finally decided to just go ahead and install the thing in the back seat of our car. After all, in just a few more weeks it would be out there anyway. It came with instructions, but…

"Damn it." I wrestled with getting the base to sit properly on the seat and get strapped down. "Whoever designed this ought to be strangled," I muttered as I bonked my head on the roof of the car trying to get the carrier to snap into the base.

"That would have been Leonard Rivkin." My mom was fighting laughter.

"Not funny."

"Jared, every woman finds it funny when guys struggle with something like this. Budge over and let a pro show you." Naturally, everything slid right into place for her.

Mission accomplished, we joined Bella and my dad inside the store. Dad gave me a commiserating glance.

"Enjoy yourself?" I asked my wife.

"It was kinda funny. I know you'd've gotten it eventually—I just wanted to make sure the seat survived it, too."

"Ha ha. Now that I've provided the day's entertainment, shouldn't I collect my fee?" Our kiss was pretty tame, but Bella still blushed when she remembered my parents were watching. For my part, I just offered a 'can't help it' grin.

"So, Bella, are you starting to think about Christmas yet?"

"I've been thinking about gift ideas, but not really much beyond that."

"Jared, your dad is going to get our tree this weekend. You should go with him and get one for your place."

"You want a tree, Bella?"

"Yes, I would. I think it would be a nice holiday tradition to start: presents under the tree, all of it."

"Bella, I've got boxes of decorations in the attic—lots more than I ever have room to put up. Please come by and pick out what you like. I'll even give you Jared's favorites from when he was growing up."

"But those belong with you—"

"They're really Jared's. But, how about we split them up?"

"That sounds fine."

"So, being a nosy grandma-to-be, are you signed up for a prenatal class?"

"Yep," I answered. "Starts next week and we'll be done by Christmas."

"Just think, James," she said to my dad. "Two more months, and we'll be grandparents."

"Seems like it should be a long time yet, but it won't feel that way. You two don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it, with anything."

"We will—ask, that is."


	69. Making a List

AN: Haven't mentioned it in a while, but I don't own Twilight, etc. Wish I did, but I don't. Many thanks to Stephenie Meyer for letting all of us fanfiction writers play with her creations and not sue us for it.

Thanks so much to my 1,265 people who have put me on favorite/alerts. Also to the 341 reviewers of the story and my 13 super-reviewers for the 1,939 reviews up to now. Whoever gives review #2000 will get a special treat.

And above all, thanks to my amazing researcher, sounding board, and previewer: mc7575. I couldn't have made this story into the incredible work that it is without you.

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Jared POV

"Jared!" Bella's tone had me drop the pan in the sink and race to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, wearing only a bra and panties. "Look!"

I did as requested and bent closer to her belly. Snaking over the pregnancy-taut skin of her abdomen were a few faint stretch marks.

"I'm fat!"

"You are an amazing and sexy goddess who is providing a nurturing and supportive environment to sustain our child," I disagreed. "You will always be beautiful to me, Bella, always. But since I want you to believe it and not just hear it, this is for you." Without looking, I reached out and opened one of the bathroom drawers and pulled out a bottle my mom had provided.

"Bio-Oil?" Bella read the label questioningly.

"It's to minimize the stretch marks."

"I love you." She pressed up against my side. I slid one arm around her back and rested the other against her belly.

"You are beautiful, my dear wife. Nothing will ever, _ever_, change that. Not pregnancy, motherhood, old age…you will always be as gorgeous in my eyes as you were the day I met you, prom weekend, our wedding day…"

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that today."

"I will repeat it all day every day if you need me to."

"Just not in front of the pack—they'll tease the dickens out of you if they find out."

"I don't care. If they do, they'll only have to eat their words when they end up doing the same thing." I really didn't mind if I did get teased, not that I really expected it, with everyone knowing about the facets of imprinting. But even if the guys did have fun at my expense, it didn't matter. If reassurance was what Bella needed, the reassurance was exactly what she would get, whenever, wherever, and however she needed it.

"Thank you."

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Bella POV

"You nervous?" Jared asked me as we walked into the hospital for our first prenatal class.

"Yeah, a little bit, I guess," I admitted.

"How come?"

"I don't know!" It came out sharper than I meant it to. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he tugged me closer for a hug." I'm nervous, too. Can't let you down after all."

"You never have-and you never will."

"Welcome," the instructor greeted us.

"Thanks."

There were seven other couples in the class and we all sat in a circle.

"Hello, moms and dads, I'm Christine Jones, and welcome to this four-week prenatal class. We've got lots to cover, but let's take just a few minutes and go around the circle and introduce yourselves."

Lucky us, we got to go first. "I'm Jared Mahan and this is my wife Bella. Our little girl's due in late January."

We weren't the only first-time parents, but we were decidedly the youngest.

"Alright. I'll preface this by saying that nothing ever goes according to plan, _but_ that doesn't mean it's not a good idea to have a plan for your baby's birth."

"You mean there's something to plan besides _have the baby_?" Jared quipped. His grin let everyone else know he was kidding.

"Yes, there are actually other things to plan: where you plan to deliver, who you want in the room with you, a natural childbirth or if you want pain relief; that's just to name a few things." Christine walked around the circle of chairs, handing each couple a clipboard with a stack of papers on it. "I'll give you a few minutes to look these over and then if anyone has questions we can go over those. Please, if you have a question: ask it. I'm here to give you the information you need. No one will think you're ignorant for asking-odds are that someone else is thinking of that same question, too."

Jared and I bent over the clipboard and started reading.

"What do you want, Bella? And, yes, it _is_ all about you this time." Jared wasn't about to let me slide on this one.

"I'm not big on hospitals, but then you know that. I'm not sure what the options are."

"Why don't we talk about it with Sue and see what she thinks? I don't know how comfortable I'd be with having the baby at home, but the clinic might be a possibility."

"Okay, I like that approach."

He moved to the next item on the plan. "Pain control. Bella, _please_ tell me you aren't going to try and be Superwoman and do this without meds."

"I could handle it," I argued. "I'm tough."

"I know you are," Jared agreed. "But _I'm_ not. It would kill me to be there and see you hurting like that." I knew he wasn't trying to play a guilt card or anything like that."

Christine was circulating and overheard him. "There are good cases to be made for either side. It's a very personal decision. Some women have a high pain threshold and can handle a natural delivery with no problem; other women have such a low pain tolerance that they ask for drugs at the first twinge. Most are somewhere in between. But you don't have to feel like an iron-cast decision has to be mad tonight. You can even be in labor and still make the decision. But, there is a point of no return: once labor is advanced enough, an epidural can't be given no matter how much you might want one."

"Thanks. That's good to know," I said. "I guess we'll need to talk about it some more. What's next?"

"Who you want in the room for the birth."

I considered. "I don't think I want a huge crowd. Your mom—I really want Renee to be here, too. Sue…Emily…"

"Girls only, then?"

"Except for you!"

"Baby, there isn't a force in the world, natural or supernatural, that could possibly tear me from your side for even a second until she's in your arms."

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Jared POV

Between us, Bella and I had a long list of things to discuss with Sue.

"I'm not sure I'd be in favor of a home birth, Bella, to be honest. Yes, you've had an uneventful pregnancy so far, but this is your first, and you're fairly young for this by today's standards. In the event that medical intervention might be needed, it's important to have it available immediately." Sue sat on her stool and looked at Bella over her clipboard.

"Would the clinic be an option?" I asked. "Bella doesn't like hospitals, and having the baby there might be more stressful, wouldn't it?"

"We do have a birthing room here," Sue agreed. "Why don't we take a look at it before you leave today and we'll see what you think?"

"Sounds good."

"So, Bella, any concerns with the pregnancy right now?"

After I dropped Bella off at home, I headed into the store to work the rest of the day. I guess I was still a bit distracted by all the plans Bella and I had to make.

"Something on your mind?" My mom had somehow come up without me noticing."

"Just all the decisions to make for the delivery. It's really starting to feel close now."

"There is a lot to consider, but it'll help when the time comes. Anything in particular you're thinking about right now?"

"Bella really wants her mom with her, but Renee's clear on the other side of the country. If we called her when Bella went into labor, would she make it out here in time?"

"First deliveries tend to take a while, but I see what you mean. It's a pretty big gamble that flight schedules and time would cooperate. Have you talked with Renee to see what she wants to do?"

"I don't think so, yet."

"Call her."

"Yes, mom." Checking my watch—amazing how different it was to be wearing one again—I figured I had a good chance of catching my mother-in-law. "Renee?"

"Jared? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Listen, Renee, I wanted to call and see when you were thinking of coming out here in January."

"Bella's due on the 24th, isn't she?"

"Around that, yeah, but Sue's told us more than once that the due date is just a guesstimate. Bella really wants you here when she goes through the whole labor stuff."

"And I want to be there for her. Phil and I have talked about it a little. I was thinking I might come out about a week beforehand. This way I can help you both if you need anything. Phil will fly out once things get going."

"That sounds great." I knew how happy it would make Bella, to know she'd have her mom here to share in this milestone. A note suddenly appeared in front of my eyes, in my mom's handwriting.

**Tell Renee she's welcome to stay with us. We've got the room, and she'll be closer to Bella than if she got a motel room in town or stayed with Charlie.**

I passed along the offer, which Renee gladly accepted. "I want to be close, but you and Bella will need your own space more than ever those last few days."

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Bella POV

"Ooohhh," I groaned. My neck, shoulders, and back were killing me today. Emily and I had a catering gig tonight and we were rushing to get ready. I'd spent the last little while alternating between leaning over the counter wrapping pigs in a blanket and bending over to cycle trays of them through the oven to bake.

"Bella?" Emily turned to me, concerned.

"Sore back."

"You sit down and rest a while. I've got this." I wanted to protest, but I knew she was right. I'd be on my feet enough later tonight, so I should rest while I had the chance.

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Bella POV

After the job ended, Emily drove us back to the apartment. The guys were down the stairs before Emily got the engine shut off. Jared opened the passenger door and offered his hands for me to grab. "Up you go," he said, putting action to words and getting me on my feet. I was glad he didn't let go, because the short car ride from town had turned my legs to jelly. The redistribution of blood flow was sending tingles all up and down my legs.

"Good evening?" Sam asked as he traded places with us and sat on the seat I'd just vacated.

"Long and busy, but good, yeah."

"Thanks, Emily. Bye, Sam." Jared said.

"Bye," they replied.

By the time we got to the stairs, the tingles had intensified. "Ow!" The spasm in my leg muscles jerked me to a halt.

"What?"

"Leg cramp," I gritted through my teeth. Next thing I knew, I was up in his arms. Once inside he took me to our bed and laid me down gently, jerking pillows over to support my back.

"Where's the cramp, Bella?"

"Calves." With that, his wolf-hot hands surrounded my left calf and began kneading, tenderly at first and more firmly as he felt the exact location of the twitching muscles. The combination of heat and massage quickly began to loosen the cramp and he switched to the other leg. When that one also started to ease up, he divided his efforts equally between both legs until the cramps were gone.

"Better?"

"Much. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Jared seemed about to say more, then thought better of it.

"What?" I smiled to let him know I wasn't upset or anything.

"Just wondering what brought it on, but I didn't want you to think that I thought you weren't handling things."

"I think I was just on my feet a little too long. I drank plenty of water today, so it's not that I was dehydrated." I thought about adding that I'd been tired, too-except that I wasn't anymore. His ministrations had done more than just soothe my legs-they'd also energized me. "Jared."

"Bella?" He caught on quickly when I smiled again. "You just-and now you want-"

"Yes and yes."

"But, the baby-"

"Will be fine. The books say so, and I say so."

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Jared POV

I knew I might have been a little overly concerned last night about hurting the baby-I knew the book information as well as Bella did. But it was one of those things where knowing something rationally didn't change the emotional reaction-especially with the spasms her stomach had done afterward. Bella had insisted they were just Braxton Hicks contractions, false ones that led up to the real thing, but that hadn't kept my heart from taking up residence in my throat until they'd gone away. I found the means to reassure myself when Sue stopped by the store to drop off some jewelry to tempt holiday shoppers.

"Sue, do you have a minute?"

"Of course. Something on your mind?"

"Yeah." We walked outside toward her car; this wasn't a conversation I wanted my parents or other customers to overhear. "How long will it be safe for Bella and I to-" I suddenly found it awkward to discuss our sex life with someone else, even Sue.

"Be intimate?" she caught what I meant.

"Yeah."

"Has she said anything about it being uncomfortable?"

"No. The opposite, actually. I just don't want to hurt them."

"You'll likely be able to tell if it hurts Bella," Sue alluded to the imprint-bond. "And I'm sure she'll say something if she needs to. A baby is protected by the mother's body, so intercourse, or even minor slips and falls, aren't usually causes for concern. Just be gentle and take things easy." She went on with professional objectiveness to suggest a few positions that would be comfortable for Bella in these final few weeks. "Otherwise, up until labor starts is fine, medically-speaking, as long as you're both fine with it. It's a widely believed old wives' tale that it can even jump-start labor, but there's no real scientific evidence of that-but many couples find it enjoyable to try and prove it right."

The wink she gave me completely weirded me out. "TMI, Sue. Man, TMI."

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Bella POV

"Holy cow! Bella?" Jared and I both looked up from the display of fishing lures at Newton's Outfitters. The voice was that of Mike Newton—not a surprise since this was his family's store, but decidedly not welcome.

"Mike." My voice was cool. "You remember my husband, Jared, right? Jared, this is Mike Newton, from school."

"Newton." Jared's tone wasn't any friendlier than mine—again, not a surprise, especially since Mike was still staring obviously at my protruding stomach. His hand extended out, and Mike was obliged to take it. A second later, he had to be wishing he hadn't—Jared was gripping _hard_. "Newton, mind helping us with these lures?"

"S-sure." Jared's eyes bore into my old classmate. It only stopped him for a few seconds, though. "Man, you're huge."

My mouth fell open at Mike's utter and complete cluelessness. Jared, on the other hand, took a step between Mike and me, and let the wolf out just a little. "Piece of advice here: if you say something like that to _your_ wife when she's about to start her 9th month of pregnancy, you'll be beyond lucky if she only banishes you to the couch. Now, I think you owe my wife and apology and both of us some customer service."

Thoroughly cowed this time, Mike stuttered an apology and stumbled through a spiel on the merits of each lure. Jared took malicious pleasure in asking questions about obscure details of the lure we'd already chosen for Charlie.

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Jared POV

"What an asshole," Bella exploded once we got to the parking lot.

"No kidding."

"I almost wish he'd kept wishing so you had the excuse to punch him."

I did a double-take when she said that. "You wanted me to hit him?"

"Almost. I feel sorry for whoever he marries if he doesn't get a clue between now and then."

"Ready to head home?"

"I'm hungry. Can we stop for Mexican on the way home?"

"Fast-food Mexican?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Okay, Mexican coming up."

Hours later, we were both regretting it. Bella's craving had given her a major case of heartburn that snowballed into insomnia when she couldn't get comfortable enough to fall asleep.

"I'm sorry," she groaned. "It's my fault for wanting Mexican."

"Nothing is your fault. Sue said this was a side-effect of being pregnant. I wish I could help you get comfortable."

"Help me to the nursery? I think I need to be more upright than I can manage with the pillows—I want to try sitting in the glider."

"Okay." I leveraged Bella to her feet, wrapping her in her bathrobe before we walked the short distance down the hallway to the nursery. Almost everything was ready now, waiting for its occupant.

"Feel any better?" I asked.

"Amazingly, yeah. I'll be okay here—I might even be able to sleep. Go back to bed so you can get some sleep, too."

"But—"

"I'll be fine. But if it'll make you feel better, take the baby monitor into the bedroom with you. I'm know you'll hear me if I need you for anything."

"If you're sure…"

"Good night."

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Bella POV

It was a good thing we had both been able to get some sleep after my heartburn and insomnia episodes, since we had our second prenatal class tonight. My stomach had settled down, too—fortunate, since tonight's session featured actual delivery videos. Despite everything he'd experienced as a wolf, Jared looked decidedly queasy watching the births. I closed my eyes a few times, too, just so I wouldn't see the blood. I had no idea if the sight would affect me like the smell did, but I wasn't planning on finding out.

"I'll make sure we put nose plugs in the hospital bag," Jared whispered.

"My hero," was my reply.

"Good job, guys," Christine told everyone when the lights came back on; I could see that Jared wasn't the only guy to have changed color a little. "You should be proud of yourselves for getting through those births. I show those so you'll have an idea of what you'll be facing in the delivery room. We've found that dads-to-be do a lot better when they have an idea of what to expect."

"What should we expect?" One of those guys asked.

"Your role is basically to do whatever your partner needs you to do: rub her feet, get her ice chips, brush her hair, change the music, anything really. Your job is to help here, whether that means supporting her during a contraction or step back if she needs a moment without contact."

"How do you feel now?" Jared questioned during the drive home.

"I think Christine was right about how knowing what to expect can make someone feel better. I'm still nervous, but the videos were more real somehow than just reading out of the books like we've done."

"I'll keep on my feet, promise," he vowed. "Passing out or tossing cookies really _would_ earn me eternal teasing."

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AN: Hope all my fellow American readers have had a nice holiday weekend. To everyone else: I hope you had a good regular weekend.


	70. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

AN: Here we are with chapter 70. Wow. So glad that so many people continue to enjoy this story and to add it/me to their favorites/alerts. Getting very close to the 2,000 mark. Whoever gives review #2000 gets a special treat from me as a thank-you.

HP: Thanks. Glad you liked it.

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Bella POV

With all the planning we were doing to get ready for my delivery, there were times I forgot Christmas was only a couple weeks away. In between our first two prenatal classes, Jared and I had decorated our tree with the ornaments I'd picked out from his mom's supply. I was delegated to pointing to the branch on the tree where I wanted each ornament to go, not that I would have wanted to attempt climbing the ladder even if I hadn't been pregnant.

"Here's to the first of many Christmases together," Jared said. He handed me a small box. "Our first family ornament."

I opened the box carefully and saw a small brown object. Lifting it out by the ribbon threaded through the top, it was revealed to be a pair of wolves, one brown and one a reddish-brown.

"Jared, where did you find this?"

"I made it," he said, quietly but proudly. "Billy's a master carver, and he helped me out. It's us."

Looking closer, I could see the time and workmanship that had gone into the carving. One other detail caught my attention. "You didn't!" I scolded, amused despite myself. "You made my wolf pregnant!"

"I had to," Jared defended himself. "This is us now."

"It's beautiful!" I wasn't sure how he'd found the time to work with Billy for the hours it must have taken to make this, but just the thought was enough to make me tear up.

"I'm glad you like it, Bella." He cradled my face to his shoulder and let his shirt absorb the moisture in my eyes. "I thought we could do a special ornament every year—start a tradition."

"I like that idea. Maybe we can pick it together, or maybe alternate who picks it each year."

"Together? A family ornament should be a family choice."

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Last year, I'd been in no condition to even notice that the holiday was approaching, and before that, I hadn't been in Forks for Christmas since I was a toddler. I wanted to make it up to Charlie and spend extra time with him. I got the chance when he offered me some of the family ornaments from his side.

"You deserve to have them, Bells. They'd get more use with you than me."

"Aren't you going to decorate?"

"Not sure. Kinda seems a waste for just me."

"We're all celebrating at your place this year, remember? You've got to put up a tree and stuff."

"Okay, Bells, okay. I'll get a tree after work."

I made sure he'd be ready by recruiting Seth Clearwater and Jared's siblings to help us decorate. Charlie was a little tongue-tied when he got home with the tree and found us all there waiting for him. Between them, Jared, Drew, and Seth got the tree secured in its stand and all the Christmas boxes down from the attic. I wasn't the only one to see how glad Seth was to be helping out and spending time with Charlie. This had to be hard for him, and for Leah and Sue, to be facing their first holiday season without Harry. Charlie literally flamed up when Sue arrived with Leah, Daniel, and dinner, just as we were finishing up the decorating.

"It's the least I can do," she told him.

"Was that a little strange?" I asked Jared while we got around for bed that night.

"What? How Charlie acted around Sue tonight?"

"Yeah. I know he's not the ladies' man type, but there did seem to be something."

"Would it bother you if there were?" Jared cuddled up against me, stroking my stomach.

"No. I've wondered sometimes about Charlie being alone, especially since Renee found Phil. If he'd be happy with Sue, I'd be happy for him, for them. But how I feel shouldn't matter."

"He's your dad, Bella. You're allowed to have feelings."

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Jared POV

Our third class dealt with the mechanics of the whole labor business. The women practiced positions that were supposed to be good for them and the baby, and tried breathing exercises. The guys-including me—learned how to coach them, what to say—or to _not_ say, and how to help our wives do what they needed to do.

As Bella and I rehearsed another labor position, I couldn't help saying, "They seriously want you to use this position? It looks…" I wanted to add that it looked ridiculous, but I knew better than to let that word escape.

The instructor read my mind anyway. "If you look silly doing it, then you're doing it right."

"Does it really look silly?" Bella inquired, biting her lip.

"I was just being a guy and shooting my mouth off. Who cares what it looks like if it helps you?" Our moms and Sue have all been here and done this before—they'll understand."

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Bella POV

Emily announced her plan to host a Christmas party for the pack and imprints.

"That's right on your one-month anniversary," Rachel objected.

"And everyone coming has been a major part of Sam and I's relationship," Emily countered. "This seems like a perfect way to mark the milestone."

"So how can we help?"

Emily had a list of what she needed, and imprinted pairs picked things to bring. Everyone was also supposed to come with a small white elephant gift for an exchange. "Keep the gifts appropriate for anyone to get—I don't plan on explaining to anyone's parents."

The party was a big hit. Everyone had a great time, laughing, talking, singing Christmas carols…it was like any gathering of friends, but with the added layer of the unspoken connection we all shared. I was installed on the couch at the beginning of the evening, and only had to get up when my bladder demanded—there were ready volunteers to refill my plate or cup or anything else I needed.

"Gifts, gifts, gifts," Collin and Brady started chanting.

"Pipe down," Sam directed. "Em, what are the rules on this one?"

"Everyone will pick a number from the bag. Whoever gets number one will pick a gift from the pile. Whoever gets number two can either pick a gift from the pile, or take the gift number one got. Number three can pick a new gift or steal from either number one or two, and so on. A gift can be stolen two times, and whoever is the third person to hold it gets to keep it and no one else can steal it. If your gift gets stolen, you can steal from someone else—but not the person who stole from you—or pick a new gift. At the end, number one can choose to steal a gift if they want to. Everyone understand?"

With everyone's nods, she circled around and we all picked numbers out of the bag. I really wished my lungs weren't so compressed by the baby—I was laughing so hard it was tough to find my breath. The young kids crowed when they got a good gift and pouted when it got stolen. Imprints and wolves conspired to steal back and keep good gifts. It was a great time, and topped off by what happened at the end.

When the numbers had been claimed at the beginning, Emily had ended up with the last number. She'd opened up the final gift—one that had been hidden way back underneath the tree. Out from the box came a tiny pair of baby booties. "Don't think these will fit," she commented. To no one's surprise, she stood up to trade gifts. But against expectations, she didn't bring them over to me; instead, she took them to Sam and grabbed the bag resting on his lap.

He looked at his wife in confusion. "Em, didn't you mean to give these to Bella?"

"No." Standing there in the middle of everyone, Emily's face was more radiant than she'd ever been, even on her wedding day last month. It only took a moment for Sam to figure it out. He was on his feet in a heartbeat and spun her around in a blur, before stopping suddenly to place her gently back on the ground.

"Help me up," I told Jared. "Congratulations," I said to my friends as I hugged Emily.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"How long have you known?" Sam asked her, holding Emily close the way Jared did with me.

"Just today. Sue ran the test. This party just seemed like the best way to share the news, so everyone got to know."

"When?" Sam's face held such a mixture of emotions: joy, anticipation, nervousness…

"July."

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Jared POV

The metaphorical shoe dropped for the rest of us and the room filled with shouts, laughter, and calls of "Congratulations!"

I opened my mouth—

"Don't even think about it, Jared," Sam commanded.

"But—"

"I mean it!"

"Congratulations, man." I nudged people out of the way to get to Sam and Emily. "Welcome to the club."

"Yeah. Wow." Sam looked like he was feeling half a hundred things all at the same time. I wondered if he needed a minute to just absorb it, or something, but Bella preempted any further thoughts.

"Got a minute, Sam?" she asked.

"For you, always," and he let her lead the way outside.

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Bella POV

"Sam? How are you?"

"My head's spinning," he admitted.

"Good spinning?"

"I think so. We're having a baby."

"Yes, you are. It's exciting and scary and so much more."

"Is this how it felt for you and Jared, when you first found out?"

"Pretty much. Granted, we had the whole vampire mess going on then, too, but we were definitely feeling unprepared, nervous…You can do this, Sam. It may not feel like it right now, but you and Emily will do just as well at this as you did running the pack all these years. You two are going to be great parents."

"Am I? What do I know about being a father, Bella? Spirits know that I never had one."

"No one expects perfection, Sam. You will make mistakes, just like Jared will, just like pretty much every parent has. But what you _won't_ do is make the same mistakes that Joshua did. You're better than that." I stepped closer and granted him a privilege that few got: I lifted one of his hands to rest against my stomach. My daughter rewarded him with a strong kick. We stood there on his porch like that for several minutes.

"Thanks, Bella." Sam gave me a hug and turned me back toward the door.

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Bella POV

"Well, here we are in our final session," Christine announced to the class. "You've survived labor and delivery, and now you have a baby to care for. After delivery, depending on your insurance, you'll probably stay in the hospital for one or two days; a little longer if you need to or have to have a cesarean. Take advantage of the nurses while you're there—rest, bond with your baby, ask as many questions as you need to. They're there to help you be ready to take your baby home. Once you get there, you'll see how much help you need or want—let your family and friends know the boundaries and stick to your guns."

"Do you think we'll be ready, Jared?" I wondered.

"Ready or not…but yeah, I think we will be. Has mom talked to you about meals and stuff?"

"She did. We're supposed to make a list of our favorites and she'll make sure we have those available."

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Jared POV

Christmas Eve, Bella and I went over to my parents' place for dinner, games, and singing.

"Our tradition," mom told Bella, "is to open one gift on Christmas Eve and then open the rest on Christmas Day."

"Sounds nice—makes it last longer, too." Bella seemed a little wistful, like she wished she'd had something like that growing up; good thing we'd already decided our daughter wasn't going to be an only child. I pressed a kiss to her temple and she smiled at me.

Since we were all going over to Charlie's in the morning, my parents had offered us the use of my old bedroom for the night. My old bed had been replaced by a larger one more suited for guests. It was strange to see the differences from the last time Bella had spent the night here—the night my parents and I had never talked about. As I met Bella's eyes, I knew she was remembering, too.

I woke up early when something touched my head. I hadn't heard anything, but that didn't mean Drew hadn't managed something regardless—I'd taught my little brother well. Trying not to jostle Bella, I moved an arm to investigate. My fingers touched…a bow? I pulled it off my head, losing a few hairs in the process, and saw that I was right.

"A present that unwraps itself—I like that."

"You did this?" She nodded, clearly pleased with herself.

"You are the best present that I could ever have asked for."

"Same here." It wasn't profound, was actually pretty lame, but it was as true for me as it was for her.

"Is anyone else up yet?" Bella asked.

I listened carefully. "No, but that probably won't last long. The twins always wake up early on Christmas."

Bella's brown eyes met mine, a faint challenge in them. "Guess you'll have to be quick then, won't you?"

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Bella POV

"Bells, Laura, Savannah, that was amazing." Charlie leaned back in his chair and loosened his belt a notch.

"You're welcome, dad." I'd certainly cooked for him often enough before, but I guess there was something different about me cooking a holiday meal for him with the help of my mother- and sister-in-law.

"It was out pleasure, Charlie. Thank you for letting us invade your house today."

"Didn't make sense for Bells and Jared to have to visit both houses when we're so close together. 'Sides, it's kinda nice to have a full house." Charlie shrugged it off.

"Well, Charlie, if you don't mind another of our traditions: we have the 'cook/clean' rule in our family at the holidays." James stacked his and Laura's plates.

"What's that?" Charlie asked.

"Those who cook don't clean," Drew and Savannah chorused.

"Exactly," their dad agreed. "So, ladies, head on to the living room and relax after all your efforts while we guys get things cleaned up in here."

"And _then_ can we open up presents?" Drew begged.

"Yes." And with that, James pointed both his sons in the direction of the sink. Jared delayed following his brother by hoisting me to my feet and walking me to the kitchen door. Then he gently pushed me back against the frame and kissed me.

"What was that for?" was my question when I caught my breath.

"You're standing under the mistletoe. I _had_ to kiss you."

"My turn." Drew's snort prompted me to pull back and follow Laura and Savannah into the living room. "This is a nice tradition," I commented as I gratefully sank down onto the sofa.

"James started it after we got married—his way of saying 'thank you'." Laura laughed. "It's also been very motivational for the kids, especially when they have to have the kitchen clean before getting their presents."

I laughed, too, picturing what it must have been like. The sight of Jared and his siblings hurrying to clean up to claim their loot…oh, I wish I could have seen it. "I'm assuming there were quality standards?"

"Oh, yeah," Savannah answered. "If the dishes weren't cleaned to her expectations, we had to do them over. Eventually we figured out it was better to do it right the first time, instead of rushing and having to re-do."

I dozed to the intermingled sounds of Christmas music and sloshing dishwater, waking when Jared's weight shifted the sofa cushion beside me.

"Have a nice nap?" he asked.

"Mmhmm."

"Ready for presents?"

I shifted, and Jared adjusted pillows behind my back. "Sure."

Our parents found seats, while the twins dashed around distributing gifts to their recipients. As the piles by each of us grew, I tried not to wince when I saw how big the combined pile in front of the couch was getting.

"Some of those are for the baby, too," Laura explained. "I know she's not here yet, but I guess the grandma in me just couldn't resist."

"More of them are from your mom and Phil," Charlie added. "She mailed them out here. Looks like your little girl's got _two_ excited grandmas."

All I could do was sigh. It was pretty obvious that they'd spoil her no matter what I said—odd how they had that in common with Alice. I turned to Jared helplessly. "Can we come up with some kind of system here?"

"Actually, Bella, we do have a system for how we open up presents in our family," he replied. "We pick someone to start—usually the youngest 'cause they don't have any patience, and the go around in a circle. Everyone opens one present at a time."

"Chaos control," James added. "Keeps the paper from flying too far, and lets everyone see what they've each gotten, and how what they gave was received."

Looking over at Charlie, I didn't see any objections. "Works for us."

"Then we'll start with the baby, then you and Jared, Savannah and Drew, and then us grandparents," Laura directed.

None of the gifts were very expensive, but thought had clearly gone into all of them. Some of the baby things were duplicates of stuff I knew we already had, but Laura explained that this set could be at their house or here at Charlie's so that we wouldn't need to cart around too much stuff when we came to visit. Jared got some more fishing stuff from Charlie, to go with the pole my dad had given him for his birthday last month. Many of my gifts were books, movies, and CDs to entertain me both before and after the baby arrived.

"Merry Christmas," we all told each other.

In the plight of youngest siblings everywhere, Savannah and Drew were assigned to the task of picking up all the bows, sheets of tissue paper, and scraps of wrapping paper that littered the living room floor. I asked Jared for my phone. "I want to call mom and Phil."

"Sure. Thought you would, so I've got it right here."

Mom picked up on the second ring. "Hi, baby."

"Hi, mom. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too—to everyone." When I passed that along, the room echoed with their return greeting.

"Thanks for all the presents, mom. They were great."

"I'm so glad you like them." We spent a little while sharing the news from Florida and Washington. "I've got my ticket booked for January 17th—that's a week before you're due, right?"

"Roughly," I replied. "Sue's projecting somewhere around the 24th, but we'll have to see how it happens."

"You don't worry about that, now. You two be thinking about anything you want me to help out with while I'm there. I don't want to be in the way, but I want to help any way I can."

"I can't wait to see you again."

"Me, too, baby."

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Jared POV

In between Christmas and New Years, Sue squeezed us in for an appointment.

"Thirty-six weeks, Bella. We're in the home stretch now." Sue closed the chart with a snap.

"What do we need to be watching for now?" I asked.

"Well, thirty-eight weeks is considered full-term, so labor can start pretty much any time. Unlike the Braxton-Hicks contractions you've had some of, real contractions don't go away; they get stronger and closer together. Just time them like you've practiced in the class and you should be able to tell after a while. But if you're not sure, call me any time day or night and I'll give you my expert opinion."

"But—"

"_Any time_," she repeated. "I'm on call for you whenever you need me, middle of the night or middle of the day."

"Anything else we need to be thinking about?" I asked.

"You'll probably notice that you won't feel her moving around as much—just means she's starting to take up even more space in there and can't wiggle too much. Bella, you may be more tired or more energetic, more hungry or less, heartburn, indigestion, or constipation."

Bella and I just stared at each other. Some of those symptoms were polar opposites of each other.

"You'll want to make sure you've got a bag ready to go when labor starts. Anything that either of you may need: music, books, candles, pictures, lotion, snacks. Here's a list of things to consider packing. Just don't wait until labor starts to put the bag together."

Sue went over a few more things, and reminded us to read and reread the pregnancy books. "Now, I'll see you back in a week."

Back at home, Bella had one of those bursts of energy Sue had mentioned. "Let's do what she said and put the bag together."

"Okay. Clothes?"

"A pair of your sweats? A nightgown, too. I'm not sure which I'll want to wear."

"You want to wear my sweats?"

"They'll be big enough. Comfortable, too."

"Okay, sweats it is. Next?" We moved down the list. "Camera?"

"What?" her eyes widened.

"To take pictures? We'll want to remember this, you know."

"I'm sure I'll remember just fine."

"Bella, we're going to be focused on having the baby. Remember how much of our wedding day we didn't recall until we saw the pictures and video?" I wasn't going to force the issue of labor photos or video—at least I didn't think I would—but I did think we'd want at least a few shots to memorialize the arrival of our first child.

"Bring them," she agreed. "No promises, but they should be handy."

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Bella POV

The middle of the last week of the year brought with it a major storm. The standard winter ice was covered by several inches of snow. Under orders from his parents, Jared stayed home with me. He had to suffer through my cleaning and reorganizing, but did benefit from my baking. To help out on that front, the older pack members and imprints came over on New Year's Eve. We watched the ball drop in Times Square, played games, ate, and talked. Emily and I naturally went into mommy-mode, something that Rachel, Kim, and Leah all found hilarious.

"How's this going to affect your catering?" Kim asked us. A long look passed between Emily and me.

"Not sure," she admitted.

"We haven't really talked about it yet." I added. "Hopefully I'll be back on my feet by Valentine's—"

"Bella, you're not going to rush through your recovery," Emily scolded; I got a look from Leah, too. "We haven't been booked yet, and nothing says we have to be." Turning back to Kim, Emily continued, "I guess we'll just have to see how things go. Running a business with two pregnant women, or two new moms, won't be easy, but we'll manage. The money will definitely come in handy. Long-term, who knows?"

"The problems of the world won't be solved tonight," Sam commented as the guys joined us around the table. "We're here to have fun tonight. Paul, grab those games and we'll play for a while before ringing in the new year."

Just before midnight, we all gathered in the living room. Each of us had a glass in hand: sparkling cider, in deference to the two pregnant girls as well as the fact that only Sam, Emily, Rachel, and Daniel were legal. The TV was on in the background, tuned to the celebration in Seattle.

"10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-Happy New Year!"

"You know," Jared mused while we watched our friends head home. "Forgetting about all the vampire stuff, this has been the best year of my life. And this next year's going to be even better."

"I couldn't agree more."

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Okay, now we're down to the final month of the pregnancy. It's getting close. Can't wait to hear what you thought of this one.


	71. Countdown

AN: Wow. 70 chapters in and the story has passed the 2,000 mark in reviews. Thanks to each and every one of you for helping get "The Wolf and His Girl" to this point. My amazing sounding board mc7575 gave the magic review (much to her surprise). She'll be getting a little one-shot that I've been given her okay to post shortly as a stand-alone 'story'. So sorry that this one took a little longer than I would have liked: Bella and Jared were majorly playing coy with me.

Molly: Thanks. Hope this was soon enough. Characters played coy with me.

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Bella POV

Taking advantage of one of her last days off before the new semester would start, Angela came by right after New Year's.

"I'm glad to have time off from school," she said, "but I'd almost forgotten how much work it is to keep up with the twins."

"I wonder if I'll end up finding that out for myself someday," I mused. "Twins run in Jared's family, after all. But I'm glad it's just going to be one this time."

"You think you'll have more?"

"Definitely. I always felt a little lonely being an only child, and Jared's the oldest of three. We both want at least two kids, but no more than four. I think we'll practice with this one first and see how things go."

"Are you ready?" Angela asked.

"We've about got the physical stuff ready, and I know I'm ready to not be fat and pregnant anymore. But as for being ready for labor and being a mom…it's like a game of hide and seek: it doesn't matter if you're ready or not—here they come."

"You'll let me know when she gets here, right?"

I feigned shock. "How could you doubt it? You're on the list for Jared to call when there's news."

"So have you seen anyone else from school who've been back in town?"

"Just Mike." I related the Christmas shopping story.

"Clueless," Angela agreed.

"Other than you and Ben, I don't know who else I'd care to see, really. With what the talk was like last summer, I probably wouldn't like what they'd say now if they saw me." I hated thinking badly of anyone—something Angela and I had in common—but we also both knew what small-town gossip was like, and how people like Jessica and Lauren would act if given the chance. They'd proven themselves to be no true friends of mine in the past.

Ben arrived around the time Jared got off work, and the four of us had a nice evening catching up and just spending time together. They promised to come back and meet the baby as soon as they had a free weekend after she arrived.

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"How are you feeling this week, Bella?" Sue inquired.

"Okay. A little different." I showed her what I meant.

"Looks like she's dropped down some, getting into the right position to be born."

"Is this normal?"

"It's just what we expect to see around this point in a pregnancy. The good news is that the heartburn and breathlessness ought to ease up now. But—and every silver lining comes with a cloud—your legs may ache even more. Warm baths should help—just watch the water temperature. Otherwise, everything looks good."

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In a twisted sense, it was probably a good thing that I was often too tired to move around much, because moving usually hurt like the dickens. If it wasn't my back, it was my pelvis. I knew that it was just my ligaments loosening up preparing for the birth to come, but that didn't help me feel any better. So between my immensely pregnant body and the winter weather, I was stuck home more often that I liked. There was only so much napping I could do. One day, when I was about going out of my mind with boredom, I finally resorted to investigating Jared's book collection; I wanted to save my new books for my time in the clinic. A trace of my old clumsiness reasserted itself and I accidentally knocked a few books off the shelf.

"Great," I muttered. While I might just possibly be able to get down to the floor to grab the books, getting up again would be pretty much impossible.

_Knock, knock._ "Bella?"

_Yes, a distraction._ "Door's unlocked, Leah."

"Up for some company? Nice outfit."

"Thanks." I knew I wouldn't win any fashion awards with what I was wearing. Today, nothing I owned had felt comfortable, so I'd co-opted a pair of Jared's sweats. He had heroically resisted the impulse to laugh at me, and had even rolled the legs of the pants up so I wouldn't trip over them. "Sure. Would you mind picking up these books?"

"Not a problem." She bent over and swiped up the books. A shower of paper cascaded out of one to scatter on the floor around us. "Oops. Photos in a book?"

"It's Jared's book."

"But _your_ pictures." She fanned them out for me to see. Leah was holding the collection of pictures from my 18th birthday party, photos of the Cullens that I'd asked Jared to keep for me after we'd found them under my bedroom floor. I'd completely forgotten about them. If it was anyone other than Jared, I might have wondered about him still having them, but he was Jared and so I didn't wonder. He'd promised to keep them until I decided what I wanted to do with them; and he was, and always had been, a man of his word.

"Bella?" Leah dropped the pictures onto the coffee table and guided me to a seat.

I ran through the story of how we'd found my hidden presents and what we'd done with them. "I forgot until now that Jared had offered to keep the pictures and CD for me. I haven't thought about either between then and now."

"Do you want me to put them back?"

"I don't know." But this was probably a good time to think about it. Was I ready to look back at the last night I'd been with the Cullens and been happy? If I'd found these pictures before they'd come back, the answer would possibly—maybe even probably—been 'no'. But I'd seen them in person, gotten to have my say, and heard what they had to say, too. Looking at some pictures nearly a year and a half old…I extended a hand, and Leah snagged the pile of pictures and gave them to me. I flipped through them, which I hadn't done since the night I'd printed them off and stuck them in the album they'd occupied for only three days. "I didn't even want a party—I told them that, but Alice was bound and determined to throw me one anyway. Emmett's was the last birthday any of them had celebrated, and they were all just so excited to have a real event to celebrate. So good little Bella just had to go along with it, and be the gracious guest, no matter that she didn't want a party or presents or a cake that would feed 50. I'd only unwrapped one gift when I got the paper cut. Everything after that happened in a blur. I knew we'd passed some kind of threshold then, but I didn't know then what it would mean. Water under the bridge now. They're part of my past, and that's where they should stay." Considering for a moment, I pulled the best shot of each couple and of Edward, and handed the rest back to Leah. "I don't care what happens to them—have a bonfire if you want to."

"Okay." Leah retrieved a baggie from the kitchen, slid the stack of pictures inside, and set it with her coat for when she left.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do now?" I asked.

She landed on the loveseat in a sprawl. "Daniel and I have talked things over a little. We're going to stick around here for a few more weeks, but then we'll head up to Makah and stay there for a while. I want to start taking some classes, and he's helping me look up some online options—plus, I'd like to be able to travel with him when he does stuff for work."

"If you need to leave, Leah, then do it. Don't feel like you have to stick around on my account."

"It hasn't just been on your account," she denied. "Part of it, yes; we do want to be here when your baby makes her entrance. But I needed to be here for Emily and Sam's wedding, to see that through. And it's been for my mom and Seth, too. I've been able to use the time to think of what I really want, and soon I'll start working to make it happen."

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Jared POV

"Honey, I'm home," I quipped. "Hey, Leah. Staying for dinner?"

"Nope. Thanks, though. I was just keeping Bella company for a while. Gotta run." She was out the door pretty quick.

I joined Bella on the couch. About to put my feet up on the coffee table, I stopped when I saw the pictures lying there. "Bella?"

"I dropped the book you must have stuck them in."

"Are you going to keep them?" To be honest, I'd forgotten about them; granted, there had been much more important things to be thinking about since the pictures had been rediscovered under Bella's old bedroom floor.

"Just these four. Leah took the rest of them with her and can have a bonfire for all I care."

"If that's what you want." A small selfish part of me wished she wasn't keeping even one of the pictures, but I quashed that wish almost instantly. I hesitated before saying, "What about the CD?"

"I think I'd like to listen to it first."

With a nod, I got up and headed to the shelf with our CDs on it. I shifted a few aside to reveal one tucked against the back of the shelf completely out of view. Within a minute, the disc was in the player, and I had rejoined Bella. Her eyes closed as the music began.

It turned out I'd been right about the first track being the lullaby he'd written for her. Of the second song, Bella said, "He wrote this one for Esme." The third song was _Claire de Lune_. "We both liked this one." The remaining tracks were songs Bella thought he'd composed himself.

When the player stopped, Bella asked, "Could we copy the first song onto the computer? I don't care about keeping any of the others, but it _is_ my song."

"Why? Are you trying to hold onto them?"

"No, of course not. I'm just not ready to give up my song right now. Maybe I will be someday, but not right now."

I thought about pushing it some more, but Bella didn't need that kind of upset, and I didn't want to ruin our evening. "Okay." Thinking there was no time like the present, I moved to grab the laptop and the CD. Within minutes, the one song was ripped to the computer's music program.

"Break it," Bella told me after the disc had been ejected.

"Yes, ma'am." I gripped the disc in both hands and snapped it viciously. It broke cleanly into two pieces, which went into the trashcan. _And good riddance._

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With just one week remaining until Bella's mom would be coming, and two weeks until our daughter's scheduled arrival, I wanted Bella and I to have one more special night just for us before our lives changed forever. With the connivance of my parents, and the use of their kitchen, I made a nice dinner for us. Mom had gotten Bella out of the apartment on some pretext, and I got things set up while she was gone. Paul had burned me a CD with the music that had played at our wedding and the reception, and I started it when Bella walked in the door.

"I'm a few days late, but happy six month anniversary," I told my wife, approaching her with a flower in hand. Behind me, the dining table was covered with a nice cloth, and a pair of taper candles was lit.

"Oh…" Bella's eyes welled up. I wiped away the tears, my hands sliding down to push the coat off her shoulders. It fell unheeded to the floor.

"Six months ago," my finger traced over the ring on Bella's hand, "you made me the happiest man in the world, when you became my wife and I got to become your husband. Now, we're about to receive the blessing of a baby, a child to love and raise. Thank you so much." Words were just so inadequate to express everything I was feeling. But words weren't my only means of expression. I used my height to advantage, canting my body around Bella's swollen abdomen, to tenderly press my lips to her temple, to trace along her cheek and capture her lips.

We swayed back and forth for quite a while, re-enacting our reception, until both our stomachs growled. Neither of us could help laughing. Reclaiming Bella's hand, I led her to the table. "Dinner is served."

"Prom night!" Bella gasped. "This is what you served me for dinner before we went to prom."

"Seemed appropriate," I replied. For no less a reason than that we owed this upcoming life step to that week.

"I love you."

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Renee's travel plans held up without any complications from the baby. Unlike Phil's last-minute trip last summer to our wedding, Renee had caught a connecting flight from Sea-Tac to the small airport in Port Angeles. Even so, the hour drive each way wasn't going to work for Bella. Charlie insisted on going to pick his ex-wife up and said he didn't mind adjusting his work schedule to do it. They probably had a lot to talk about with their first grandchild about to arrive. My mother-in-law was installed in my parents' house, and we all had a big family dinner there that night.

"Bella! Baby! You look wonderful!"

"Mom! I look huge. I've almost forgotten what my feet look like."

"What you look like is happy and content—and yes, you look ready to be done with pregnancy."

Renee claimed a hug from me. "Jared. You've been taking good care of her?"

"Always, Renee. Glad you made it out just fine."

Monday saw what ought to be Bella's last prenatal appointment. Her official due date was just a week away now. Renee literally cried when we invited her to come along with us to the appointment. She cried again when Sue used the Doppler to pick up our baby's strong heartbeat."

"Oh, Bella."

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Nothing like it in the world."

"She'll do just fine, Renee," Sue assured her. "Bella and Jared, labor can start any day now. Remember that you can call me anytime, with anything."

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Bella POV

"Bella, would you like to go to the spa for the day?" My eyes widened at my mom. "My treat. Get pampered…"

"It does sound nice, mom, but I'm not sure it's a good idea. I'm only five days away from my due date. Just my luck I'd go into labor there and have to get back here…Can I take a rain check?"

"Sure, sweetie."

I should have known that wouldn't be the end of it. Late in the afternoon all the girls showed up at the Mahans'.

"Spa evening," Renee announced.

Even though I would have previously said that I just wanted to relax here at the end of my pregnancy, a girl's night was perfect. I was thoroughly pampered with a manicure and pedicure, and a shoulder massage. My friends did each other's nails, too, and made their predictions about when I'd have the baby.

"I thought you were going to have her on Monday?" Savannah asked.

"The due date is just a best guess," I explained. "Sue's said that most women actually _don't_ go into labor on their actual due date."

"Just so she's not a week late or anything, right?" Rachel quipped.

"Please, no," I groaned. "Don't even tease about something like that."

"Can I be there?" My little sister wasn't above begging.

"Savannah!" Laura scolded. "It's not polite to put Bella on the spot like that."

"Little sister, I'm very happy that you want to be part of welcoming your niece, but I don't think this will be the best way. Jared and I have talked about things, and there are only going to be a few people in the room with us when she's born. But we would love for you to come and see her afterward."

"How soon?"

"That will depend on when she arrives," replied Laura. "We won't drag you out of bed or school. Your dad and I will talk with Jared and Bella when the time comes and make a decision. They'll need to spend time as their own little family without us being underfoot too much."

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Jared POV

My mom and mother-in-law informed me that my wife was being kidnapped for the evening, and that I was to make myself scarce. Turns out I didn't have to find anything to do—the guys had their own conspiracy going.

"What's this?" I questioned when I was pulled into Sam's place.

"Kinda like a bachelor party, this time for a father-to-be," Daniel informed me.

"Except he didn't have one," Embry replied.

"No bachelor party?"

"Those are supposed to be a last hurrah for guys to celebrate being single. I couldn't wait to marry Bella." It was true. Even though I hadn't known about the tribal ceremony Bella had planned for the night before, I hadn't considered having a traditional bachelor party—hadn't been my style anyway.

"All the more reason to party now," was Daniel's proclamation.

"I can't wait for this, either."

Paul looked at me like I was crazy. "Screaming baby, middle of the night feedings, gross-smelling dirty diapers—you're looking forward to all that?"

"I'm looking forward to holding this little person who's part Bella and part me. I want to see who she'll become, to help her on that journey. What you just said is all temporary."

"But then it'll be tantrums, independence—especially if she's anything like her mama—and then _boys_." Paul was persistent.

"I think I can handle that."

Sam snorted. "To which I, as the other prospective father here, will reply: 'famous last words'."


	72. Labor, Part 1

AN: Great responses to the last chapter. Thanks to all for your continued interest and for your understanding as I got through another end-of-the-semester push. Have a couple weeks off and should be able to get more written.

To everyone who has ever said "I can't wait for the baby", well, here she comes.

Molly: Thanks for your suggestion, but I'd already made the plot decision for this chapter.

JasperTurner: Re. Ch 31 review: I did think about the speedo, but it seemed predictable and what I did instead worked for me.

HP: Thanks, and here you go.

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Bella POV

At my final appointment, Sue had told us that everything looked great: the baby had turned head down the week before and her head was engaged in my pelvis—no surprise to me as I was visiting the bathroom as often now as I had in the early days of my pregnancy.

I had tried not to be embarrassed when she checked me to see if I was starting to dilate, although I did ask my mom and Jared to step out while that part of the exam was done. "Her head being down will start the process, and it's a factor on when your labor gets going," Sue said. "And just so you know, embarrassment basically goes out the window during labor—it's a messy process and there's not much in the way of modesty. But it's all worth it in the end."

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I felt more and more out-of-sorts all weekend—like I couldn't get comfortable in my own skin, and the littlest things would bug me. Everyone kept saying that it was only normal and natural in my final few days, but somehow that only made me feel worse. Just because I was about to give birth didn't, to my mind, justify me acting like some kind of shrew. Jared actually understood that part, telling me, "It's a bit like what we went through before our first phases; tempers and all."

"But _I_ don't have any supernatural excuse," I protested.

"Maybe not, but you do have the most natural excuse of all: you're about to have our baby. To me, you've got carte blanche to say and do anything you feel like."

"I'm not so sure, but thanks for trying to help me feel better." He truly was being so calm and supportive to me, even when I snapped at him. I didn't mean to, but sometimes the aches just got the better of me.

Emily's sister helped, too. She'd been through this a lot more recently than anyone else I knew. "I nearly drove both myself and Scott crazy," she confessed. "But it seems like your Jared gets that you just can't help it. And you can't—it's the hormones that are doing it. You're not just dealing with the regular pregnancy ones anymore; you've got the ones prepping you for labor, too. That's a pretty powerful cocktail."

"I guess I can try to focus on the positive that it'll be over soon."

Alyssa laughed. "You can tell yourself that if you want…but I should warn you that you'll be wrong. These ones will go away, true, but then you'll get the post-partum and maternal ones next."

"Joy."

Alyssa hugged a squirming Claire close. "Maybe so, but it's really worth it."

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It would figure that yet again I'd be something other than normal. Sue had said most women didn't start labor on their due date and that labor didn't always start in the middle of the night like on TV. Well, apparently I didn't get those memos, because I did both…

Sunday night, January 23rd, I could barely look at the bed. I tried, really I did, but I just couldn't get settled.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked, no more able rest than I was, and because of me.

"I just can't get comfortable."

"Want to try the rocking chair again? Or the couch?"

"Couch," I decided. It was worth a try at least. "This way you can be there with me if you want."

"Always. Wild horses, or vampires, couldn't drag me away." Jared helped lift me up from the bed, wrapped me in my robe, and put his arm around me as we walked to the couch. He left me briefly to grab both our cell phones and the cordless home phone and set them on the arm of the couch.

The upright position seemed to be just what I needed, that and the soothing warmth of Jared's body beside me. My eyes closed and my head fell back to rest against the couch cushion. Then, blessedly, I fell asleep.

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Jared POV

I was beyond relieved when Bella was able to fall asleep on the couch. Her restlessness lately was setting off some instincts I'd never known I possessed. I knew I needed to be at the top of my game for her and tried to get some sleep of my own. My sleep wasn't deep, as though my wolf sensed we needed to keep watch. That ended up being right. I couldn't say exactly when I realized that the Braxton-Hicks contractions Bella was sleeping through were becoming more regular and stronger to boot.

_Oh, crap. What am I supposed to do now? Think, Jared._ I'd read the books, but for the life of me I couldn't remember how far apart they were supposed to be before we needed to head for the clinic. My wolf-sharp eyes could see the _What to Expect_ book sitting on the bookshelf across the room from me. _Great._ There was no way I could get to it without waking Bella up, which wasn't an option. But I did have another choice. I moved very slowly and got my hand on my cell phone

"Sue?" I whispered. "Sorry for waking you up."

"Jared?" For being woken up just after 2 AM, Sue seemed pretty awake to me—must be all that nursing and midwife experience. "Don't worry about it—I told you to call. Is it starting?"

"I think so." It was with immense effort that I kept my body relaxed and my voice calm. I was a teenaged guy whose pregnant wife was going into labor—the normal part of me just wanted to panic. My Bella was about to endure hours of pain and struggle to bring our child into the world, and there would be absolutely nothing that I could do for her. Now that it was here, I wasn't sure how I was going to handle this. I wished, perversely perhaps, that I had someone's example to follow right now—being a trailblazer for the pack was really going to suck.

"What's happened so far? How's Bella doing?"

"She's asleep right now, thankfully. She was really restless tonight, but managed to fall asleep sitting on the couch."

"Sleeping is probably the best thing for her to do right now, if she can. Sounds like she only in the very early stage right now. I'd like for you to try and time her contractions: how long between them and how long each one lasts. You're probably good to stay at home in familiar surroundings until they're about five minutes apart. Call me back in about an hour and let me know how things are going—sooner if her water breaks. If she wakes up and it hasn't broken yet, she can take a bath or a shower if it makes her feel better. Moving around can also help, plus standing up will work to really get labor going."

"Okay, I can do that." It was ridiculous how much better I felt having some directions to follow.

"How are _you_ doing, Jared?"

"Trying not to panic. I don't want to freak out here—I know it won't help—but part of me wants to anyway."

"I can tell you that you're not the first, or the last, man to feel that way in this situation."

"I just feel…helpless." This wasn't a feeling I was used to, or comfortable with. I'd gotten so used to being the wolf and using those abilities to solve problems. That wasn't going to help here.

"There are a lot of things you'll be able to do for Bella in the next few hours. You'll be there to support and encourage her, rub her back or hold her hand, get her ice chips…she is going to be relying on your strength and presence to get her through this."

"Thanks. I guess I needed to get that reminder."

"Anytime. You want me to call your parents? I'm sure they'd be happy to give you more encouragement."

"Not yet. Like you said, it's really early yet, and they'd probably just make Bella uncomfortable with being watched. I'll be okay for a while." After I closed my phone, I rested my head against the back of the couch and shut my eyes. I breathed in Bella's scent and tried to absorb it into every cell. Going back to sleep was impossible. I just listened to Bella breathe and recited every prayer I'd ever learned, mixed with broken pleas that everything would be alright.

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Bella POV

I didn't remember what I was dreaming about, just the sensation that I was being squeezed tight, like a bear hug. But I didn't know who was hugging me. If I'd been cold, I would have said it was Emmett, but I wasn't cold. Suddenly I jerked awake and the dream disappeared. The dream might have been gone, but the squeezing wasn't. The tightness was a thousand times worse that the knots my stomach would tie itself into before a school presentation.

"Oh!"

Beside me, Jared jolted upright. "Bella?"

"Ow!" The pain was going away now. For just a moment, I wondered what was going on, before remembering that it was perfectly obvious. I was 40 weeks pregnant, and I was going into labor.

"Bad one, right?" Jared rubbed his hand in a circle around my stomach.

"You think?" I snapped.

"It woke you up," he said, as if that explained everything. He must have seen that I wasn't going to let him get by with that answer, because he added, "You slept through two of them in the past hour, so if that one woke you up it had to be a lot stronger than the others."

"I've been having contractions for the last hour?" My voice got louder with each word.

Jared glanced over at the glowing digits on the clock. "Fifty-five minutes, to be exact."

"We ought to—" I drew a blank trying to remember what we needed to do.

"Check in with Sue." As he grabbed his phone, Jared added, "It was about time for me to call her anyway."

"You called her already?"

"When the first one woke me up. She said for me to let you sleep if you could manage it, and to call her after an hour. Which is right about now. Sue? It's Jared again." He listened for a few moments, "I've counted three in the last hour, about 20 minutes apart." Then he handed the phone to me. "Sue wants to talk to you."

"Sue?"

"Hi, Bella. Looks like this is it, huh?"

"Looks that way. What do we need to do?"

"This early stage of labor can last as few as two hours or as many as twelve. Based on how far apart the contractions are now, I'd say it's going to be a while."

"Twelve hours?" I didn't like the sound of that.

It sounded like Sue was trying not to laugh. "You did read the books and go to the classes, right? Labor can be short, or it can be really long. The average length is just that: an average. But I don't want you to be thinking about that right now. The best thing to do is rest if you can, and stay calm."

"I'll try. Can I do anything else? I'm not sure if I can sleep just now." Not with the way my mind was racing.

"You can take a warm bath or shower if you want, walk around, eat or drink a little if you're hungry or thirsty."

"But the book said—"

"That used to be true when women were more medicated during delivery, and when IV's during labor were standard. The medical profession is a little flexible now. As long as it's light things, a little food or drink won't be a problem, plus it will help keep your energy levels up, and might keep you from needing the IV at all."

"We can do that," Jared said. I was all for it—if there was a way to avoid that needle, I was going to try and take it.

"A bath does sound good," I admitted.

"I'll go run one." Fingers under my chin tilted my face up for a kiss, and then he went to do what he'd said.

Sue went through a few things I'd need to keep an eye out for. "You should be okay at home for a good while yet. When the contractions get to where they're five minutes apart and are lasting about 45 seconds, that's when you'll need to head to the clinic."

"Okay."

"Go enjoy your bath and check back with me in a couple hours, or sooner if things really speed up."

"We will." I ended the call and looked up to see that Jared was watching me.

"Bath's ready."

I set the phone down and held out my hands. "Help me up?"

Jared assisted me every step of the way to the bathroom and into the tub. "Want a snack?"

"A little fruit and some water? Or juice instead."

"I'll be right back." He was as good as his word, and was back quickly with my requested snack.

"Could you call our moms?" As independent as I usually tried to be, having Renee and Laura here would probably help both Jared and me stay calm. Jared was definitely putting on a good front, but when we'd been talking to Sue a few minutes ago, I'd seen a brief look of sheer terror in his eyes. Plus, my mom really deserved to be here for this part of my life, and I really wanted her here.

Another kiss. "Sure."

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Jared POV

"Mom?"

"Jared?" It was my dad who'd answered the phone.

"Dad?" I felt like I was a kid again, when just hearing the sound of my parents' voices meant that everything was going to be okay. They knew what I was going through just now—had been through it twice themselves. However childish it might seem, I needed them. A tiny part of my mind was rational enough to marvel that I could handle being a wolf, cope with an imprint, and was fine being married, but my wife's labor was turning me into a gibbering mess.

"Jared." My mom this time—dad must've handed her the phone during my daze-out. "Is it time?"

"Yeah." My voice broke as it hadn't since puberty. "It's early in the game, but she's been having contractions for a while and they're starting to get a bit stronger. She wants you and Renee here."

"Of course. I'll wake Renee up, if the phone didn't, and we'll come right over. Everything is going to be fine, Jared."

"Have you called Charlie yet?" I heard my dad ask.

"Not yet. I don't know what Bella wants. I don't know—"

"You focus on Bella. I'll give him the word. I know he'll want to see her."

"I know he will, too. Thanks, dad, but I'll call him right after I check with Bella. Can you come over, too?"

"Sure, son. I think the twins can handle getting themselves ready for school today."

"Thanks." I hung up so they could get dressed and went to check on Bella again. "Do you feel okay?"

Bella gamely smiled at me. "The bath is helping. Are they coming?"

"Yeah. My parents and Renee will be here as soon as they can get dressed. I was just about to call Charlie to let him know. You want him to come over, too?"

"I would like to see him, and now is going to be better than later. I hate waking him up so early before he has to work." The water sloshed as Bella jerked in reaction to another contraction.

I dropped to my knees and gave her my hand to hold. For someone so tiny, her grip just now was strong. "Sorry," she whispered half a minute later when the contraction subsided.

"Don't start apologizing for that. I told you before, I'm here no matter what, for whatever you need. I do still have that special healing kick, so I'll be just fine regardless."

"Still—"

"Don't worry. If you think you'll be okay, I better call Charlie. And speaking of him, don't you think he'll probably just take the day off? His only daughter having her first child? I bet that he's already arranged it with his deputies."

"No bet." Charlie and I might not always have been on the same page, but my dad had been there for me the best way he knew how.

We stayed just like that, me in the tub, Jared kneeling beside it, for a while longer, until Jared cocked his head and said, "They're here."

"Go let them in, alright? Then I think I'm ready to get out of here."

"Get out of here?" I couldn't help laughing at Jared's deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"Out of the tub. The water's cooling off, and our moms are here now."

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Jared POV

It was as I walked to the door that I remembered I still needed to call my father-in-law. _Oops_. But first things first.

"Mom, dad, Renee." I stood back to let them all come in, getting a hug from each.

"How are you both doing?"

"Bella's perfectly fine, of course; I'm a basket case."

"Welcome to the club," my dad teased.

"Gee, thanks. She's been in the tub for a little while, and it seems to have helped. I'm just about to help her out; I know she's going to be happy to see you all."

"Are you hungry?"

"Bella had a snack a few minutes ago."

"What about _you,_ Jared? I know how you get when you're hungry, and you can't be there for Bella if you're passed out from lack of energy." My mom headed to the kitchen, and the sounds of cabinets and pans followed.

"Thanks, mom. Be right back." I left my dad and Renee standing in the living room and returned to Bella. I helped lift her from the tub, steadying her as she found her footing on the bathmat. Snagging a fluffy towel, I gently rubbed it over Bella's skin, absorbing all of the water droplets. Just after I knelt down to reach her feet, Bella's hands clenched on my shoulders, her nails embedding in my skin. Her breathing deepened to work through the pain, and I automatically started counting.

"That was faster," she gasped after it was over.

"Yeah. Not any longer on duration, though." I helped Bella with a new nightgown, socks, and her robe, before we headed out to our family. As Bella was enveloped in a hug from her mom, I grabbed my phone and sought the privacy of the bedroom to call Charlie.

"Charlie, its Jared."

"Jared? Bella!" My name was sleep-garbled, but Bella's was panic-clear.

"She's in labor. Doing fine so far. We're at the apartment for now, until things get further along."

"Can I come?"

"Sure. My parents and Renee just got here. I meant to call you right after I called them, but Bella needed me, and—"

"You called. That's all that matters. I'm coming—I've just got to—"

I could hear Charlie fumbling around, drawers rattling, and what sounded like a pair of shoes being dropped. "Drive safe, okay, Charlie? It's going to be a while yet, so please don't rush and get into an accident."

"Okay, yeah. I'm coming." He sounded almost as rattled as I felt. Probably not a surprise. The call cut off, but I wasn't sure Charlie had noticed anyway.

When I rejoined everyone else in the living room, Bella was on the couch again, her mom beside her. My dad was on the loveseat, and my mom was exiting the kitchen carrying a plate, which she handed to me.

"Omelet? Thanks, mom, you're great."

"You're welcome. Now eat up. Bella, are you sure you don't need anything?"

"A little more juice would be good, but I don't feel like eating anything else right now."

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Renee asked. From the look Bella gave me as our eyes met, I guessed Renee had asked her this more than once already.

"I'm okay right now, mom. I'm sure we'll all know when that changes."

"Do you want to lie down?"

"I think I can rest right here. How about we watch a movie?" Bella replied.

"You want to watch a movie?" Even though Renee had years of experience with Bella, this clearly caught her a little by surprise.

"It'll be more interesting than everyone just sitting here watching me. And it might even send me to sleep." I could see Bella's logic. Maybe the movie would help all of us relax. We'd only just started _The Princess Bride_ when a squeal of tires and brakes heralded Charlie's arrival. I was guessing he'd taken advantage of his lawman status to push the speed limit just a little bit.

"Bells!"

"Dad!"

"You okay?"

"So far. I hear that'll change after a while, though."

"You'll do just fine." Charlie awkwardly leaned over to give Bella a hug, before retreating to a chair my dad had grabbed from the kitchen, and we restarted the movie. By the time it finished, it was nearly 6 am. Bella had managed to relax some, and even slept a little more. This in spite of the contractions that were getting a lot closer together and were lasting a bit longer, too. They were also stronger, just like Bella's grip on my hand and her mom's.

"Help me up?" Bella asked. "I need to go to the bathroom." Charlie helped me get her standing, and I walked her to the bathroom again. When she was done, Bella requested that we walk around the apartment. We travelled from room to room, while our parents tried to keep out of the way by watching the early news. Bella stopped us several times and leaned her head against my chest as we waited out contractions.

"Squeeze as hard as you need to," I whispered.

"You may regret saying that eventually," she grimaced.

"Never."

"I need the bathroom again."

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Bella POV

Both of our moms insisted I try to eat a little breakfast. I managed a little toast and eggs, along with more juice. Remembering how the bath earlier had helped, I wanted to try it again. Jared and I walked a little more while my mom ran the bath. I was relieved that the aromatherapy candles she lit were soothing and not nauseating.

"Sit behind me?" I asked Jared.

"Sure, if that's what you want." He stripped down, helped me do the same, then helped me step into the tub and sit on the side. Jared sat down at the end of the tub and guided me down in front of him. I sighed in relief, both from the warmth of the water and of his chest behind me. His hands reached around to start tracing up, around, down, and around over my stomach.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too. Thank you for being here."

"Nowhere else I'd rather be."

I lasted longer in the tub this time—maybe Jared's body heat had radiated out into the water. He helped me scoot forward a little so that he could get out and then help me. Jared had only just started to dry me off when I felt something come loose. My squeak was involuntary and embarrassed.

"Mucus plug," Jared informed me. He took care of flushing it and washing me off. "It's okay, Bella. Had to happen. Probably should update Sue."

"Okay."

I got resettled on the couch while Jared made the call. Again, Sue wanted to talk to me. "It helps me gauge how things are going, to listen to what you say and how you say it," she told me. "How do you feel right now?"

"The contractions are stronger and closer together. Oh—" I broke off as another one tightened my muscles.

"Breathe, Bella. Nice and deep," Jared murmured in my ear. "Just breathe."

"Ow, ow." I tried to muffle my moans in Jared's chest. I felt a hand on my back, and managed to say, "No, please."

"Definitely stronger," Jared said into the phone when I relaxed.

"I think it might be a good idea for me to stop by and give you a check, Bella," Sue told us. "I'll see you soon."

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She did, too, stopping by only a few minutes later. We went into the bedroom so Sue could check me.

"Almost three centimeters, so you're doing very well. How far apart are the contractions now?"

I couldn't answer, because another one hit just then. Sue's hand rested on my stomach, feeling what I was.

"Ten minutes," Jared answered, from his spot behind my back.

"You're almost six hours in, so it all looks fine. You look good to stay here for a while longer. Remember that consistently 5 minutes apart and at least 45 seconds long is the definite point to head over to the clinic."

"Okay."

Jared and I stayed in our bedroom after Sue left, needing this time just with the two of us. But before long, I needed to move again. We started walking yet again, starting another movie for distraction. Savannah called after she and Drew woke up—they'd found the note their parents had left. Fortunately, I was between contractions and could talk to them without freaking them out.

"I'm doing okay, but it's still going to be a while before she gets here. You and Drew need to go to school today. I promise that you'll hear if there's any news."

By the end of _The Mummy, _I was moaning from the pain. The contractions didn't seem much closer together, although I might not have been the best judge, but they were absolutely stronger. Charlie took a break outside—I suspected he might have gone down to the store for a beer, too. I didn't mind, and it was actually probably good for both of us. James had left a while earlier, just to make sure Savannah and Drew had gotten out the door on time.

I'd been walking so much lately that my legs were starting to hurt. I was laid down on the couch, supported by pillows, while Jared rubbed my legs, soothing the cramps.

"These last few have been right at five minutes apart," I vaguely heard Laura say.

"Forty-five to fifty seconds," Jared answered her. "Bella, I think it's time for us to get moving."

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AN: I wasn't sure where, or if, I was going to break the labor segment up, but this seemed like a good point. This part is taking me a while to plot out so that it's the way I want. I don't want to keep my loyal and faithful readers waiting any longer than necessary, so you get this now. I'll get right to work on the next chapter now that I'm between semesters. Hope you enjoy. I hope I've done this justice (given that I'm working from research and not firsthand experience). If anyone has any comments/critiques on that front, I welcome them.


	73. Labor, Part 2

AN: Here we go with the next bit of labor.

Anonymous reviewers: Thanks. Yes, she's almost here.

Molly: Glad you liked it.

Skyler: Thank you. I love to hear that.

PheonixRebornFromTheAshes: I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.

Mimi15: So happy you love it. Hope this was soon enough. Had a non-negotiable personal deadline I had to get ready for, then I could write.

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Bella POV

"Bella, I think it's time for us to get moving." I wasn't going to argue with Jared. The way I was feeling right now…I commanded my head to nod, and I think I did—a little. I stayed where I was, eyes closed, while activity swirled around me. Even though I wasn't watching, I knew that Jared had called Sue and grabbed my bag, Laura had summoned James back, and Renee had gone outside to find Charlie.

"Jared, she needs to be dressed for going outside," Laura told him.

"Okay, mom."

"Your dad's already on his way back. He'll be her in another minute or two. Thank goodness the van will be warmed up now. We'll wait for you downstairs."

The door shut behind her, and Jared's footsteps receded before returning. "Showtime," he told me. "I grabbed you a pair of my sweats."

"Tha-anks," I managed as another contraction hit. After, Jared helped me exchange the nightgown for the sweatpants and shirt, and then covered me with a blanket. He leaned over and slid one hand under my knees and the other behind my back. My weight was nothing for him to lift. "I can—" I tried to say.

"Let me carry you." Jared touched his forehead to mine. "Dad already said the stairs are a bit slick."

That was probably a good idea—me and slick surfaces were never good friends at the best of times, and if a contraction hit… "Okay." I looked over Jared's shoulder at the living room. It was messier than usual—no surprise since we'd been camped out here all night.

"Don't worry about the mess, Bella. I bet you anything that someone we know will have it all cleaned up before long." Jared knew me so well. "Do you realize that when we walk back in here next time we'll have our daughter with us?"

"Yeah. Really feels real now, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. But we're ready for this."

I wasn't going to argue. I couldn't wait to not look like I had a basketball strapped to my waist. "Shouldn't we get going? Or are we planning to have her here after all?"

"Going, going." Jared carried me to the door, and supported all my weight with the arm under me so that he could open the door. Even through the layers I was wearing, the early winter morning whipped right through to my skin. When I wondered why Jared was taking so long to get down the stairs, his answer was "Precious cargo." Laura was already sitting in the van and Renee in Charlie's cruiser. James and Charlie were both standing outside the van, waiting for us. James slid the door open when we got there, and Charlie helped get me situated on the seat.

"You okay, Bells?" he asked me, tucking the blanket down between me and the seat.

"Ok-kay," I gasped.

"Get going," Charlie ordered, stepping back to pull the van's door closed.

Jared slid his hand into mine, inviting me to squeeze as hard as I needed to. I turned my face into his shoulder and moaned my way through the pain. Once I relaxed, Jared reached around me to grab and fasten the seatbelt. James put the van into reverse, backing onto the road and heading to the clinic.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, meaning my moan.

"Bella," Laura twisted to look back over her shoulder, "no one expects you to go through labor without making a sound. Moan, yell, scream, groan, whatever you need to do. Trust me, you'll feel better if you don't try to bottle it in."

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Jared interjected. "This is my fault." He really did look like he believed that, what with the tension in his face and body.

"Partly," I agreed. "But I was there, too." I vocalized my way through another contraction just as we pulled into the clinic's parking lot. Sue came outside as we unloaded, pushing a wheelchair in front of her.

"Hi, Bella. Let's get you inside. Jared, help guide her down, okay? That's good."

In short order, they had me inside the clinic and in my room. Sue offered me a brightly colored hospital gown, and shooed the men out of the room so she and both moms could help me get changed. Afterward, she used the Doppler to check the baby's heart rate—"strong and steady"—and checked me to judge my progress. "Just about four centimeters now, Bella. That's good progress."

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It was late morning now, and I'd been here for almost two hours. I'd alternated between trying to rest, staying hydrated, and visiting the bathroom.

"Why do I have to pee so much?" I griped, as this trip's designated helper—my mom—walked me back to the hospital bed. Sue spoke from where she was sitting beside Charlie, keeping him from going crazy.

"An empty bladder frees up a little more abdominal space. Gives the baby's head more room to descend. As we want her to move down…"

"I get to pee," I finished.

"Got it." Sue stood up. "Let me just check and see how you're doing now, Bella." I couldn't help noticing Charlie's abrupt move toward the room's window. "Five centimeters. You're doing great."

"Halfway there, babe," my husband announced.

"Jared," I made sure to enunciate each word clearly. "If you're trying to encourage me, it isn't working. It means I still have to go through all of that all over again, just to get to _ten_ centimeters. And _then_ I get to push."

He opened his mouth.

"Uh-uh."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," I told him. "But I'm not in the mood for "glass is half-full or half-empty, or anything like that, okay?"

"Got it."

"Up for any company?" A nurse I'd seen before, but whose name escaped me, stood in the doorway. "Billy and Rachel Black are here."

Everyone looked at me. "Okay. Probably not for long, though."

"I'll let them no."

"How's it going, Gramps?" Billy's voice boomed as Rachel wheeled him through the door.

"I can't speak for Charlie, but _I'm _hanging in there," I replied.

"Lookin' good," Billy said. I looked down at my hospital gown and shook my head.

"Hey, Bella. Jared." Rachel left her father to Charlie and approached us.

"Hey, Rachel." The next contraction had me grabbing onto her hand as well as Jared's.

"So, Bella, have you decided whether you're going to want an epidural or not?" Sue asked me, when I'd relaxed.

"Definitely. Yes, I want one." I hadn't exactly ever _planned_ on a natural delivery, but even if I had, what I'd experienced of labor so far would have changed my mind. This way was going to be best for everyone. I wasn't a masochist to relish the pain. Jared…he was doing a pretty good job of covering it up, but I could see how this was affecting him. I didn't know if all guys felt this way anyway, or if the imprint was heightening it, but every contraction seemed to hit him just like it did me. My parents, as well—it had to be tough for them to watch their only daughter in labor.

"Okay, we can do that. I do have to remind you that we will have to put an IV in. Are you okay with that?" Part of me wanted to say 'no', but it was only going to be for a few hours, and I'd already decided the relief was necessary; I nodded. "Then let me make a call." Sue went to get the ball rolling, and Rachel set about distracting me.

"Paul's texted me a couple times already this morning wanting an update," she kept her voice low in deference to the parents in the room.

"He's in school!" If the La Push school was anything like Forks, students weren't supposed to have their phones with them, let alone turned on and in use, during classes.

"So? These guys are talented, remember. Any guidelines on what you want me to say?"

"They are _not_ getting a play-by-play," Jared growled softly. "She's doing fine and the baby will get here when she gets here."

Without saying anything, I reached out and clasped his hand, stroking lightly with my fingers. "I'm okay. Halfway to where I need to get to." I ignored the irony of repeating Jared's words of only a few minutes ago.

"No problem. I'll just let him know that things are going fine, and they'll hear when she gets here." She and Billy pulled Charlie out of the room for a dose of Vitamin-R when the anesthesiologist arrived. The description of what was going to happen started to make my head spin.

"She doesn't like needles," Jared interrupted. "Probably best to just do it before she gets nervous." He helped me sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I curled over my stomach and rested my head against his chest. As he had during my appointments, Jared distracted me from the procedure with quiet conversation until the anesthesiologist said he was done. Lying down again, I could feel an icy tingle move down my body and how my legs started to go numb.

"Try to rest now," Sue advised. "Laura, Renee, why don't we go see if James and Charlie are hungry. Leah said she'd bring something by on her way to work. Jared, would you like anything?"

"I'm okay right now. Could you save me something for later?"

"Of course."

The lights dimmed as she shepherded everyone out, leaving us alone. The bed was roomy enough that Jared could spoon behind me, one arm draped over my side, hand resting on my belly.

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Jared POV

With the help of the drugs, Bella—and I—did manage to sleep some. Not very deeply, but still enough to give us some energy. In front of me, Bella stirred.

"I need to go to the bathroom again."

"Sure. Hungry?"

"A little."

Business done, I started to walk Bella back to the bed before she said she wanted to sit at the little table in the room. I left her there and headed to find the food. My mom and Bella's took things in, but I stayed to talk to Sue.

"Are you going to have to break her water?"

"We'll see how it goes. Generally we wait and let it break on its own, unless labor slows way down. If we need to get things jump-started again, then we might do it, but we'll see. Nature usually takes care of things the best way."

"You'll get through this fine, Jared. Trust me. You're not the first man in our tribe to go through this." I-unlike either my dad or my father-in-law-caught the hidden meaning in her words: other wolves had had to watch their imprints go through this, too, and they'd clearly coped somehow.

"Yeah." Someone down the hall called to Sue, and she turned toward them.

"Let's take a walk," my dad suggested. "Mind letting them know, Charlie?"

"Okay." Charlie headed toward Bella's room, and my dad moved me the other way, back toward the clinic's entrance.

"How are you holding up?" Dad had to look up a bit to meet my eyes.

"Saying I'm scared out of my mind probably isn't an option, right?"

"Every new dad is scared. It's more than a little frightening to watch the woman you love endure so much pain, and after...you're going to be responsible to that little girl for the rest of your life. Sure, family and friends and the tribe will play roles in her life, but in the end most of it will come down to the foundation you and Bella lay down for her."

My shiver neatly coincided with a draft from the clinic's door as it opened and closed; convenient, since I still didn't feel the cold hardly at all. My dad reached out and gave me a strong hug. "You're going to do just fine. Partly because that's who you are, and a little bit because you don't really have a choice. Now, get back in there and remember to give your wife some compliments."

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Bella POV

I lay on the hospital bed, eyes closed and a damp rag over my forehead. My stomach was roiling like the ocean in the middle of a storm. I knew I needed to eat a little, and keep my energy up, but obviously that last snack hadn't been such a good idea after all.

The next contraction came out of nowhere, a lot faster than I had been expecting. It was also a lot stronger than I'd been preparing for-even with the epidural I'd had a little while ago. I couldn't move to grab Jared's hand, but his arm _was_ in reach and I took hold of that. When the pain subsided, I realized I'd done more than just grab-I'd dug my fingernails into his arm so hard that I'd broken the skin.

My already-upset stomach, coupled with the faint coppery tang of blood from the gouges in my husband's forearm, lost the fight. I helplessly expelled everything it contained, throwing up all over the front of Jared's shirt. My eyes slid shut from a combination of embarrassment at what had just happened and determination not to throw up again. A damp rag brushed over my face and another was laid over my forehead. It felt like Jared had gone somewhere, so I dared to slit my eyes open to find out. By the time I managed it, he was back beside me again.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"Bella, its fine. Shirts wash. Are you still feeling sick?"

I shook my head, slowly, carefully. "Not really. But—"

"Bella, _you_ are much more important than a shirt. Not like I haven't ruined plenty on my own. Besides, we're having a baby—pretty soon, we'll be getting spit up on, thrown up on, peed on, and pooped on regularly. Gotta be a tough guy, don't I?"

"You're strong," I agreed, biting off the rest of what I was going to say when another contraction hit.

It wasn't until Laura said, "Sue, do you think there's anything here that will fit Jared, or should I send James back for a shirt?" that I realized Jared was—obviously—not wearing a shirt now. Seeing him without one had long been familiar to me, but his parents weren't so accustomed.

I'm okay, mom," he told her. "Plus, it might distract Bella." He grinned roguishly. I beckoned him closer and traced a finger up his now-healed arm and down his chest. "Yep, I'm distracted."

Jared bent down and kissed me, ignoring the bad breath I had to have now.

"Could I get some water? And some mouthwash or my toothbrush? My mouth feels gross."

"Sure, sweetie." My mom dug in my bag for the toiletries while Sue got me the water, which I swished and spat into a basin.

"My, but he looks nice without a shirt on." My jerk this time was the result of hearing my mom-my own mother!-say that. I wasn't-couldn't be-mad about that since I thought exactly the same thing.

"Yeah. There definitely are a lot of good-looking guys around La Push. And weather-permitting, they usually operate under the assumption that 'less is more' when it comes to clothing."

"To the appreciation of the girls, right?"

"I don't mind," was my admission, "and I don't think Emily, Kim, or Rachel does, either."

"We aim to please," Jared's grin was back. Mission accomplished, if he was feeling better emotionally. The nerves were further eased by a brisk knock at the door. "Hey, Sam"

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Jared POV

"How's it going?"

"You want to be real careful with that question around a woman in labor, but I think we're okay. She just got an epidural, and it's helped."

"Up for any visitors? Em would like to come back, but we don't want to be a bother."

"I'll check." Getting the affirmative from Bella, I invited both Sam and Emily to come in. Sam disappeared briefly only to return carrying a large basket filled with food. His eye-roll said that it had been Emily's way of dealing with nerves this morning.

"Bella, you look amazing. I'd never guess you were in labor right now." Sam deposited the basket on the table and offered Bella a hug around her shoulders. Then he looked at me. "Okay...good to know what the expectant father dress code is around here."

"I threw up on him," Bella confessed.

"Good practice for the next eighteen years, right?" Sam ribbed me.

"Just you wait. You'll be finding that out for yourself, remember?" His expression made me laugh, like he really had forgotten this was coming his way. Emily gave me an approving grin as she pressed past Sam to reach Bella.

The room was starting to get crowded with all of us in here, so I wasn't surprised when Bella said she wanted to get some air. Sue said that walking around the clinic's hallways would be a good thing to help keep the labor momentum going. Sam and Emily offered to walk with us, both for company and just in case I needed help with Bella. Sue didn't expect a problem, as Bella had gotten a 'walking epidural', but having the help on hand just in case wouldn't be a bad thing. A soft-wheeled completely non-squeaky IV stand had been found, so we were ready to go.

"So how bad is it, really?" Emily asked, with the expression of someone inquiring despite their better judgment.

"You want a comforting answer, or the truth?" Bella replied.

"That bad?" Sam winced a little.

"I'm drugged now, so it helps, but it's definitely no picnic. Ooohh!" Bella stopped dead in her tracks, twisting to brace both hands against the wall. Remembering how she hadn't wanted hands on her back earlier, I wasn't sure where I should put them. I settled for her shoulders, so I could keep her up if her legs gave. Sam's hand griped my arm, reminding me I wasn't alone.

"Bad?" he asked, of me as much as Bella.

"Makes my skin crawl," I admitted. "There's such an urge to do something-anything-but there's nothing I _can_ do.

"Need to get out of here for a bit?" Sam's tone was concerned.

"I'm not going to lose it, not that way," I assured him. "And anyway, Bella needs me here."

"If you need to-" she started.

"What I need is to be with you, to see that you're alright, and to help you however I can. Freaking out _may_ come later, but not now."

We traversed the hall back and forth who-knows how many times. We were at the end of the hall again, when Bella's tight voice demanded a bathroom. We ducked into the nearby empty room. While she helped Bella in the bathoom, Emily told me to stay with Sam. Both our heads jerked to the door when we heard a pop.

"Let's get Bella back to her room. I think her water just broke." Emily moved ahead to alert Sue, and Sam helped me support Bella.

"A little more than six centimeters," Sue judged. "And the amniotic sac has ruptured. Folks, we're having a baby."

The afternoon passed with agonizing slowness at times. The contractions were closer and stronger. Bella was a real trouper-better than me, probably. Sam and Emily stuck around at Bella's insistence. Emily distracted her with talk of things they might do with their catering business. But conversation got harder as the pain got worse. As evening neared, it was the worst yet. It seemed like Bella could barely catch her breath, as one contraction seemed to bleed into the next. Each of her cries put another twist in my guts.

"You're almost there, sweetie," Renee encouraged. "You can do this."

"Just pant through the pain," my mom recommended.

"Cold," Bella managed. A blanket was quickly found and draped over her. "Ow, ow, OW!"

"Let me check you again," Sue directed, moving into place to do just that. "Congratulations, Bella. You're fully dilated now. If you feel like pushing now, go right ahead."

A bar was set up so she could squat and hold onto it, but she only lasted one push before collapsing. "My legs," she gasped.

"That's fine, Bella," Sue encouraged. "Just lean back."

"Jared," my wife whispered. "Could you sit behind me?"

"If that's what you want." Both moms helped support Bella while I climbed up on the bed behind her. Then they helped her lean back between my legs, which were drawn up so she could hold onto my knees when she pushed. I barely noticed when Charlie and my dad vacated the room. They'd probably go to join Sam and Emily in the waiting room, and maybe others, too. I wasn't planning to check, but I expected that at least part of the pack was out there waiting for news.

Sue stood at the now-shortened foot of the bed, one hand laid across Bella's stomach. "Okay, Bella, we're getting another contraction here. I want you to take a deep breath and push down, like you're going to the bathroom. We'll do a count of ten, and then you can take another breath. Try to push again if you can. Alright. Deep breath and one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten. And breathe. Again."

Minute after minute passed. Bella seemed to go into another world, focused only on what she needed to do. I couldn't even tell if she heard the encouragement that her mom and mine were giving. I figured she had enough people talking at her, so I kept quiet.

"Jared?"

"Yeah, Bella?"

"I'm scared."

"Me, too. But you can do this. You're almost there. I know you're strong enough to see this through."

"Again, Bella. She's almost here."

Within minutes, Sue was telling Bella to pant and not push, so she could suction out the baby's mouth and nose. "Okay, one more good strong push and she'll be here." With a cry that would have done any of my warrior ancestors proud, Bella brought our daughter into the world.

"Great job, Bella."

"You've done it."

"And we have baby girl Mahan making her entrance at 6:38 pm. Jared, do you want to cut the cord?"

"Um. Sure." My earlier maneuver onto the bed was reversed, and I joined Sue.

"Cut between those two clamps. Great." Sue quickly laid the baby on Bella's stomach and began toweling her off. The sound of our daughter's first cry brought both Bella and I to tears.

"Hey, baby," Bella cooed. I couldn't take my eyes off the sight of my wife holding our baby for the first time.

"Beautiful." Sue said. "I just need to borrow her for a minute. Get her cleaned up and a few tests done." She carefully lifted the baby and carried her over to where a baby bed and equipment were set up.

"Go with her," Bella insisted. I delayed only long enough to kiss her deeply and say, "_I love you_" before I followed. My mom grabbed onto me as I passed, hugging me tightly, her own tears trickling down my chest.

"What tests, Sue?"

"We're doing an Apgar, which measures her appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration. Just seeing what her vitals are and how she responds to stimulation, on a scale of zero to two. Alright, twos across the board. Perfect." Sue quickly wiped her off a bit more and wrapped her in a plain white blanket. Then she turned to me. "Why do you go take her back to her mama?"

"Me?" I gulped.

"Just hold her like this, close to your chest, then hand her to Bella this way." Sue demonstrated as she passed my daughter into my arms.

I looked down at this small precious bundle through tear-filled eyes. "Love you, tsida-wihl." The fact that her head was a little cone-shaped from being born, and her skin a bit blotchy didn't matter. To me, she was the second-most beautiful creature in the world, only surpassed by her incredible mother. The flash of a camera made me look up to see that my mom had taken our picture. She and Renee cleared a path for me to reach Bella and lay our daughter carefully in her arms.

"What did you call her?"

"Little one."

"Smile," mom said. We looked up to see both her and Renee holding cameras. A few pictures later, they started to leave. "Do you want to come announce she's here?"

"Would you mind? I think I want to stay here for a bit longer."

"That's fine."

"Can Charlie and your dad come back?" Renee asked me.

"Let's get Bella and the baby cleaned up first," Sue suggested. "I'm sure they'll all be more comfortable this way. And Laura, if Bella and Jared agree, I'd be fine with letting the twins come for a quick peak."

"Could you ask dad to go get them? I'd like them to get to meet their new niece."

When Sue offered, Bella insisted that I help with the baby. To know I was the first one to give her a bath, put on a diaper…she already had me wrapped around her tiny fingers. By the time the baby was cleaned up, Bella and the bed had both gotten the same treatment. Sue was setting something spongy and bloody in a container. "The placenta," she explained. "There's a tribal tradition of disposal, a ceremony to protect a new baby."

"When?" I might be modern, but I was also a protective new dad. Anything to keep my child safe and under spiritual protection.

"Tomorrow will be soon enough. I'll talk to Billy and Quil, and get some information to you. Right now, I suspect there's a very eager crowd waiting to meet this little sweetie."

"Family first, then whoever from the pack that's here. Anyone else can wait until tomorrow."

"That's wise. You _all_ need your rest." With an affectionate touch to each of us, Sue left.

Bella had me join her on the bed again, and we just sat there looking at our daughter.

"How can you love someone so much when you only just met them?" she wondered.

"I loved you like that, and she's part of us."

Soon our families came in. Charlie and Renee stood on one side of the bed, my parents and the twins on the other.

"Ohhh," Savannah sighed. Bella responded by shifting the baby slightly so my sister could get a better look.

"Wow, man," Drew said quietly.

"Beautiful."

"Amazing."

"So?" several people asked at once.

"Needle pulling thread," Bella giggled.

"_The_ _Sound of Music_ is a great movie," my dad agreed. "But I think we were more asking what name you chose. I don't think it fits to call my new granddaughter 'baby' anymore."

Bella and I exchanged a glance, then looked at our families. After so long of keeping it secret, we were now about to share our daughter's name for the first time.

"Everyone," Bella announced. "we'd like to introduce you to—"

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AN: I started out this note intending to apologize for the long delay, but on reflection it's just the way it is. I really had intended to be very productive with this story while on my break, but a spell of writer's block ensued, and my out-of-town vacation was a lot more tiring than I'd expected. On the plus side, I was fortunate to be able to visit Port Angeles/Forks/La Push/Hoh rainforest while on my trip. SO, SO worth it, to see all the locations SM and I have used. Now I'm back to real life and my last semester of grad school. Hope you'll find this chapter worth the wait. As I've said to many reviewers before, I post chapters the instant they are finished and proofread—I don't hold them for a set updating schedule. I will do my utmost to wrap this story up in a timely fashion, but make no promises about how often updates will be. I'm going to have to put in a good amount of effort as I complete my final graduation requirements, and those requirements will have to come before more enjoyable activities.

Edit: A couple of reviewers informed me that while an IV isn't mandatory for all women in labor, is IS required when the woman chooses to get an epidural. I've gone back into this chapter and made a couple of adjustments/additions to reflect this medically correct information. I apologize for the initially incorrect information-it seems I misinterpreted some of the information from my research. Thanks to Tsubame0104 and Prinny Queen for the correction.


	74. And Her Name Is

AN: I surprised myself with getting this chapter out so quickly. I guess your pleas to know the baby's name inspired me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chelsea: Thanks. I'm a little sorry (but not much) for the cliffie. Just couldn't resist. Name comes here. Story will _probably_ last for a few more story months, but we'll have to see how inspired I am.

HP: here you go.

AlexTurner: Sorry (kinda). I just couldn't help ending the chapter where I did.

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Seth POV

I woke up in the middle of the night with no idea why. When my brain caught up with my body, I was standing at my bedroom window. Cocking my head, I listened, trying to figure out what I'd heard. But there was nothing: no howls, sirens, nothing beyond a blowing winter wind. Lying back down, I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. A while later, I heard the phone ring and my mom answer it. I padded out into the hall and met her as she left her own bedroom. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Everything is fine, Seth. Bella's just in labor now. I'm going over for a few minutes to see how she's doing. I'll be back soon." When she did, I was waiting. "Seth! Get back in bed! It's going to be hours yet before she goes to the clinic, let alone has the baby. You have to get some sleep before you go to school."

"But—"

"No buts. Everyone in school will be going to school today, regardless of the baby."

I tried to sleep like my mom wanted, really I did, but it was no good. Two of my friends were having their baby right now. Man, Jared had to be going crazy. Bella, on the other hand, was probably going to handle it just like she did everything else.

I heard the next phone call, too, and my mom's promise to meet them at the clinic. It was about time to get up, so that's what I did. Leah and Daniel were already sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee. I'd been a bit surprised all those months back when mom had invited him to move in, once we'd learned he'd be sticking around. She said it didn't make sense for him to rent a place—not that there were all that many options—not when we all knew he'd be spending all his time with Leah anyway. Dad probably would have flipped about it, I figured. But maybe, just maybe, he'd've been okay with it if it made Leah happy.

"I'll be at the clinic all day, or however long I need to be there," mom said, coming into the kitchen in her nurse scrubs. I opened my mouth, but she beat me to it. "You're still going to school, Seth. Leah, make sure he gets out the door on time."

"Got it. I'll fix something up and bring it by around lunchtime."

"Thank you. That would be lovely."

"Do they want the word spread?" Daniel asked.

"The others can know, but we are not going to have the entire pack camped out at the clinic. This is going to take a while. We all know how Bella feels about being the center of attention, and being watched like a pot of water isn't going to help her."

"Can't blame her. Okay, Lee and I will work like usual and wait for news."

Leah pushed me out the door with a "Have fun at school today." To which I replied, "Shove it." Collin and Brady met up with me on the way. We got to the school to see that Drew and Savannah were already there. She was pressed up against Jake, and he had his arms around her. Drew was biting his lip, and if he weren't a wolf, he'd have had it bloody by now.

"What's going on?" Collin looked around, confused.

"Bella's having the baby today," Jake said. Our Alpha squeezed his imprint.

"We talked to her before dad brought us to school," Savannah said. "She sounded okay, I guess."

"Mom's meeting them at the clinic. She'll look after Bella and the baby."

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Jake POV

I got Vanah dropped off at class, and went to find Quil, Embry and Paul.

"What's got your tail in a twist?" Embry gave me the once-over. I filled them in, finishing with the orders from Sue and my dad for us to stay at school.

"You kidding?" Paul scoffed.

"Nope. We have to stay here all day, and after school Sue doesn't want to see us around the clinic, either."

"Man, that's just wrong. We ought to be there." Quil shook his head. I agreed with him, and might have broken orders to go be with my friends regardless of the injunction—if it weren't for Vanah. She needed me here, so here was where I'd be. Before heading into my first class, I shot off texts to Sam and Kim, just in case they hadn't gotten the word yet. Sent another to Jared, but he didn't answer.

**Just got to work. Thanks for the fyi. K.**

**Stay school. E & I will check. S.**

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Sam POV

"Is this how you're going to be when it's our turn?" Emily asked.

My arms tightened around the pregnant wife I had sitting on my lap in the clinic's waiting area.

"Honestly? I'm probably going to be worse off. I don't know how he's holding it together that well."

"I guess he's doing what he has to, just like you will when our time comes."

"I hope you're right. I don't know how I'll cope with seeing you in pain." I'd been a basket case back in those early days, when Emily had suffered through the pain of the wounds I'd inflicted on her; how much worse off would I be when she was in another life-and-death situation again by my doing? It had been bad enough today watching Bella go through the contractions we'd witnessed. Em had lasted longer in there than I had, but eventually she had also left Bella's room.

"Sam, we've got six months before we need to worry about that. Calm down and let it go for now."

"Okay." We sat there, waiting for news. Charlie Swan and James Mahan were there, too. Kim, Rachel, Leah, and Daniel had arrived after work. Paul and Embry had gotten around the elders' edict against students showing up by saying that their imprints needed them for support.

"Any news?" my little brother asked, holding firmly to Kim's hand.

"She's pushing now," Jared's dad answered.

The girls helped keep us all calm when Bella's screams became audible. Charlie's knuckles were as white as ours, even lacking the same keen hearing we still retained. Then there was silence, and the four of us heard a high cry. The vice around our chests palpably eased. A few minutes later, the beaming new grandmas walked into the room and straight to the grandpas.

"She's here and she's beautiful," Laura hugged James tightly. "Would you run home and get the twins? It's okay with Jared and Bella if they get a brief introduction. Sue said its fine, too."

"Is Bella okay?" Charlie asked Renee, as James grabbed his coat and left.

"She did wonderfully. We'll be able to go back as soon as she and the baby are cleaned up."

More than just me had heads bowed in thanks, both for the safe arrival of a new member of the tribe, and also for her health and that of her mother. James got back with the twins—and Jacob—about the same time that Sue came into the waiting room.

"Alright, family first. Drew and Savannah, I want you in that bathroom right now, and your hands and arms scrubbed good, if you want to hold the baby. But, that will be up to Bella if she's ready to let you just yet." They shot off to do as commanded, Sue following to supervise. When it was just the pack and imprints in the room, Sue looked at all of us.

"When they're done, Jared and Bella said that you can come back. I want a short visit. The three of them really need to get some sleep. Jacob, I want you to pass the word to the rest of the rest of the pack that they need to stay home for a while longer. Bella and Jared need some privacy to rest and heal, and to bond with their daughter. There will be plenty of time for introductions later."

"Understood. When will you give the all-clear?"

"Bella and the baby will be here for at least the next 24 hours. If they're doing well, they might be able to go home tomorrow night, or else Wednesday morning. You can call Jared Wednesday after school and see how things are going, and whether Bella's up for visitors."

"Got it."

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Jared POV

Bella and I exchanged a glance, then looked at our families. After so long of keeping it secret, we were now about to share our daughter's name for the first time.

"Everyone," Bella announced. "we'd like to introduce you to…Audrey Nayeli Rose Mahan."

Savannah clapped, my mom sighed, and Renee laughed.

"Audrey," my dad repeated. "Sounds nice."

"What's it all mean?" Drew asked.

"Audrey means 'strength', Nayeli means 'love', and Rose represents a flower that is beautiful and whose delicate appearance hides strength."

"You kids put a lot of thought into it," Charlie managed, wiping his eyes.

"Yeah, we did," Bella agreed. "We wanted her to have names that we liked and that were nice, but that also had meaning."

"Good names. Wow, Bells, you did good."

"Thanks. I had a lot of help." She dropped her eyes to look down at Audrey. "Would anyone like to hold her?"

My parents motioned for Charlie and Renee to go first. I carefully lifted Audrey from Bella's arms and passed her into the cradle of my mother-in-law's arms. Renee started humming and swaying, that instinctive movement people seemed to use when holding a baby. After a few minutes, Renee handed her to Charlie. He held her with total concentration.

When my dad got his turn, he looked over at me. "You did a good job, too, son."

"I've got a good start, maybe. I just hope I can do as good a job with her as you've done with me."

"You will."

"Do we get a turn, too?" Drew turned on the puppy-dog eyes.

"If you sit down, you can hold her for a minute," Bella told him. He dragged a chair closer to Bella's bed and sat.

"Hold your arms like this," mom demonstrated for him. He moved his arms like she showed him, and dad carefully placed my daughter in her uncle's arms.

"Wow. She's so small."

"Seven pounds twelve ounces," I announced, proudly.

"You don't need to tell _me_ that," my wife retorted.

"Is it my turn yet?" Savannah asked.

"Sure." My mom lifted Audrey from Drew's arms so he could stand up and Savannah could sit in the chair. After a few more minutes, we had our baby back, and with hugs and kisses our families left for the night. Sue popped her head in to make sure we still wanted to see our friends, before letting them come back.

"Wow, she's beautiful."

"Good thing she looks like Bella, huh?"

Considering how many people we had in the room, they were being amazingly quiet. Of course, the fact that they were staring at my daughter lying in her mother's arms was probably why. Sam stood behind Emily, his hands—like mine so often had—resting over his wife's stomach. Jacob, Daniel and Leah, Paul and Rachel, and Embry and Kim also stood watching.

"How do you feel?" Rachel asked Bella, whose eyes were starting to droop.

"Tired and extremely sore—and cold. But so, so happy. It's like the best dream in the world, except that it's never going to end." As soon as she mentioned being cold, I was moving to slide onto the bed beside her.

"Better?"

"Yes, thanks." She shifted very carefully, trying to hide a wince, and rested her head against my shoulder.

"So, did Jared man up or wuss out?" Paul wanted to know.

"He did great, just what I needed," Bella defended me.

"No passing out or puking?" he looked a bit disappointed.

"No, Jared was fine. _I'm_ the one who threw up."

Everyone looked at us a little closer. "I'm guessing it was all over Jared?" Embry started to grin.

"You do, you die," I warned, knowing even as I did that it was pointless; they were going to get a lot of ammunition out of this.

"Embry…" Kim's tone had him looking at her, wide-eyed.

"Yeah?"

"Do _I_ have to say it?"

"No…" he hung his head. "If I tease him now, you'll make sure to throw up on me deliberately when we're here."

"Be nice to our friends."

"I think we need to get out of here," Leah judged, "before my mom kicks us out. You two get some sleep. Let us know if you're up to visitors tomorrow, or if you need help getting home when you're released."

"Mmhmm," Bella was already mostly asleep. I eased off the bed to lay Audrey in the bassinet that sat in easy reach. Stepping closer to the group, I whispered the mention of the state we'd left the apartment in. Emily whispered back that she and the girls would coordinate with my mom and have things sparkling before Bella got cleared to come home. I got hugs from everyone before they left the room. Embry breathed, "You're still gonna get it," too low for Kim to hear.

Sue returned just as the room emptied. "Let's see how she's doing right now." She moved to the foot of the bed and started checking Bella again. Paul would have been satisfied at my wussing-out this time, as I immediately moved to watch Audrey again. "Things look good so far. Bleeding isn't too heavy—"

"Bleeding?" I spun around in panic.

Sue gave me a crash course in 'this is what happens _after_ the baby arrives' for what Bella and I could expect with her body and its recovery._ "_Now, if she needs pain medication, she can have it. We're got Tylenol that she can take, or we can do something a bit stronger if necessary. Jared, make sure Bella realizes she won't get any brownie points for not taking painkillers if she needs them. Trying to suffer through the pain will only mean a slower recovery, and won't be good for any of you."

"I'll make sure she knows."

"Now, I need to borrow Audrey so we can give her a full checkup."

"What will you be doing?" It was certifiable now that I was an overprotective dad.

Sue ran through the list of what she and the other duty-staff would be doing. I was torn: I knew Bella would want me to be there for our daughter, but I also felt that I needed to stay with my wife.

"Would you like me to stay with Bella or go with Audrey?"

I spun around again, to see that my mom was standing just inside Bella's room.

"I thought you went home?"

"Renee and I talked it over, and we wanted to make sure you had someone around if you needed anything. I'll take the first shift, and she'll come later and I'll go home."

"Stay here?" I asked. I followed Sue, and probably amused her by hovering during the exam. Bella had woken up from her nap by the time we got back to the room.

"Let's try and see if she'll nurse a little." Sue helped position the baby and coached Bella through trying to get her to latch on. It took a few tries before she got the idea. "Don't worry if it takes a while for her to do it consistently. It's partly instinctive, but you both need the conditioning to make it automatic. You'll be getting lots of practice—she'll need to nurse every two or three hours."

"When I am going to sleep?" Bella moaned.

"Whenever she does," Sue commiserated. "Once your milk comes in a couple days from now, you can pump between feedings and fix up bottles. Jared—or anyone else—can use them for some of the feedings and let you get larger chunks of sleep."

Audrey didn't nurse too long, but Sue said that was normal for her first day. "Now, she can stay here in the room with you, if you want, or we can keep her overnight in the nursery and just bring her in here for feedings."

"Let's keep her in here, at least to start with. I don't want her to get upset being moved around all the time." Bella shifted and winced again. Sue repeated her pain medication speech, and also added, "You've got lots of help available, Bella. _Use it._ It doesn't make you a bad mother to ask for help—it makes you a smart one who realizes that it's okay to have some backup. Taking a few minutes even for a shower can recharge you and you'll come back to her refreshed in a lot of ways."

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Bella POV

I don't think any of us got all that much sleep that first night. If I wasn't trying—with varying amounts of success—to nurse, then I was getting my vitals checked or being gripped by continued contractions. Sue might say it was my body's means of working its way back to normal, but _sheesh_, it hurt. I gratefully accepted the offer of medication, especially since it helped make what sleep I _did _get better than it would have been.

My mom took over for Laura sometime during the night. Sue gave me the okay in the morning to try some light breakfast. I wasn't expecting it to be delivered by Phil.

"When did you get here?" I asked, accepting the hug he offered, and smiling at the bouquet of pink balloons from Forks' Thriftway.

"Last night. I didn't want to disturb you so I decided it'd be best to wait till now to visit. Boy, she's a cutie."

"Want to hold her?" Jared asked. "After all, you're one of her grandpas, too."

After a moment of being startled, Phil nodded, and Jared handed her over. He looked a little nervous holding Audrey, but good, too. I realized I'd never thought to wonder if he'd ever wanted kids of his own. I knew he was a few years younger than my mom, but she was still under 40, so they probably could if they wanted to. This mental conversation with myself was a little weird, so I pushed it aside.

I was encouraged to try walking a little—one of the things I had to be able to do before they'd let me leave. I had lots of helpers, and needed them, especially in the beginning. The other nurses were helpful, giving advice and suggestions. I appreciated it, but felt most comfortable talking with Sue. I knewshe'd gone home to sleep after being up for about 24 hours, so I asked the immediate questions now and made a list to ask Sue when I saw her next. That ended up being just after dinnertime.

"How's it been today, Bella?"

"Okay, I guess. I've been taking the medication and it's helped. How long will it last?"

"A few days to a couple weeks. Every day should be a bit better."

"Super."

"I know. So, how do you feel about going home?"

Gulp. "I'm not sure I'm ready yet. I know there's family here, but—"

Sue reached out and took my hand. "Its fine, Bella. No one will make you leave if you're not ready. Legally, your insurer has to cover 48 hours after delivery if you need it, so you're able to stay through tonight if you choose. We're here to help however we can."

I looked at Jared. "Whatever you need. If you want to stay again tonight, we'll stay again tonight. If I'm honest, I might need the extra support myself."

The second night seemed to go a bit better. Jared got the joy of dealing with the first dirty diaper. I got a real laugh of seeing him wrinkle his nose and hold his breath; so did Sue. "Really, Jared. This actually isn't bad. Just you wait."

In the morning, both Jared and I felt like we could take Audrey home and not make a complete disaster of it. She and both had clean bills of health and Sue's assurance of help whenever we needed it. "I know you'll have your pediatrician in Forks, but I'm always available if you need some reassurance or just someone to listen."

We could have had quite the committee to see us leave, but we didn't want to feel overwhelmed. Jared backed me up when James and Laura offered to take time off from the store, and Charlie said he'd get a deputy to cover for him. "This is our only first time doing this. I think Bella and I would like this experience just for us."

"And you should," Laura agreed. "It's not our place to push in."

"We want you around," I assured her, "just not everyone at once or all the time. Maybe some of you at lunch and some at dinner?" We worked it out that James and Laura would get lunch ready for us, and Charlie, Renee, and Phil would come in the evening.

Just as Jared had promised, the apartment was indeed spotless when we got home. "Welcome home, Audrey," we told her. After a tour of her new home, she got to experience her crib for the first time, and the sheets handmade by her great-aunt.

"I love you, and I am so in awe of you," Jared told me.

"Why?"

"Why do I love you?"

I pushed at his shoulder. "I understand that, but why the awe?"

"You've been through so much in the last few days, and yet you're taking it all in stride."

"So have you. If I'm calm, you're a big part of why."

Turning on the baby monitor, Jared tugged me to the living room. "Mom said she's been getting lots of calls from family, wanting to know about visiting."

"What do you think?"

"Let's come up with a schedule we're happy with, and that's what they'll use." Just enjoying the quiet and the chance to sit together, we came up with something that worked for us. James's family could come this weekend, and Laura's side the weekend after. I'd have to wait a couple weeks after that to introduce Audrey to Angela and Ben. We'd talked to Angela yesterday afternoon, calling in one of her breaks between classes.

(flashback)

"Angela?"

"Bella? How are you? Oh my gosh, is she here?"

I laughed, carefully. "Yes, she's here, and I'm doing pretty well, I guess."

"When? How much? How long? What's her name?"

I couldn't help laughing again. I didn't think I'd ever heard her this excited before. "What question do you want me to answer first?"

"Any of them. All of them."

"She was born yesterday evening, at 6:30. She's seven pounds and twelve ounces, and eighteen inches long. Her name is Audrey Nayeli Rose Mahan."

"How beautiful! Do you have pictures?"

"I think there's a few—dozen. I'll email a few as soon as I can."

"I can't wait. But I guess I'll have to, before I can meet her. I can't believe the professors are piling on so much work already. Ben and I both have some major deadlines coming up. It'll probably be almost a month before we can get away for the weekend and come home." Angela was obviously disappointed.

"Ang, she's still going to be a little baby then. She won't grow up _that _fast."

(end flashback)

"What about the rest of the pack?" I wondered. "I can't believe they didn't invade the clinic, or keep your phone ringing constantly."

Jared smirked. "They got banned, and I've had my phone off."

"What?"

"Well, Sue basically laid down the law that we needed space and privacy, and had Jake tell them to leave us alone while we were there. She said they could ask about visiting once we came home."

"I think they should get to meet her. It's not fair that the older ones have met her and not the younger set."

"Okay. Jake said they'd call after school, so we'll give them the good news then." Jared turned on his phone, shaking his head at the innumerable text messages and voicemails he'd gotten—so many that both mailboxes were full.

Thinking about everyone who'd been contacted so far, I remembered a number we hadn't dialed yet. "Are we still going to call them?" Jared knew just who I meant.

"Do you still want to?"

"We did promise to. And if they hadn't helped…"

Jared cocked his head. "My parents are here. Let's take care of it after lunch, and then at least one of us will take a nap."

When it was just Jared and I again, he handed me my cell phone. It sat in my hand for a few minutes before I flipped it open and found Rosalie's number in my cell phone.

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Seth POV

Every chance we'd gotten both yesterday and today, we had all been pestering Drew and Savannah about the baby.

"We don't know anything else!" Drew groaned. "She sleeps a lot, and she's got a little dark hair. Seems kinda small, but I guess that's how she's supposed to be."

"Jake, can't we-?"

"Not until they're home. Cool it, guys. She's not going to grow up overnight or anything."

Cold weather or not, we all cornered Jake at the picnic tables right after school. "Can we visit?"

"Sheesh. I don't know yet. Hey, Jared. Guys want to know if you're up for an invasion. Okay, we can do that. I'll lay down the law. See you." Jake looked around at all of us. "They said we can come by, but just for a little bit. Everyone who wants to hold her will have to scrub up before they get a turn."

We were just heading up the stairs to their apartment, when Jared's mom caught me and asked if I'd carry up a box that had come for Jared and Bella. "It looks like my sister overnighted this for it to come so fast."

"Sure, Mrs. Mahan." I put on a good face, but inside I just wanted to groan. _Just hand it over and let me go._

Bella was the center of attention when I got up there. My sister Leah was there, too, watching everyone to keep things under control.

"Hey, Seth," Jared greeted me.

"Baby gift from your aunt," I handed the box over.

"Thanks. Go say hi to Bella and meet the baby."

I had no argument, and nudged my way closer.

"Seth, hi there."

"Bella. Looking good."

"Right. I look fat without the excuse of being pregnant anymore. But you're not here to listen to me complain. Seth, meet Audrey." Bella shifted the baby in her arms so I could get a good look. When I did…

All I could see was dusky-rosy skin, feathery dark hair, cloudy dark eyes. There was the smell of powder and baby. I didn't hear or register anything around me, not until Jared's hands were on my chest, pushing me backward and down onto the couch. "_What the hell were you thinking?"_

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AN: I know that not everyone will like the decision I made here, to have Seth imprint on baby Audrey. I respect your right to feel that way, and hope you will also respect my right to write my story the way I want to. My amazing sounding board mc7575 can confirm (should you choose to ask her) that this decision has been in my plan for this story from the same time that I decided on there being a pregnancy. If this upsets you, I'm sorry you feel that way, but this is my story. If you want a different plot direction, feel free to write your own unique Jared/Bella story and unfold the pregnancy and its outcome differently from the way that I have.


	75. Hello and Complication

AN: I know I took a little longer with this one, but I had a textbook to read, plus I really wanted to get the reactions to flow right in this chapter. I hope I've achieved what I set out to do.

Chelsea: Thank you. The name was my favorite, and the top reader pick in the poll I did a long time ago. Bella did make the call, and we may (probably) see that as a flashback sometime soon. Yes, he did imprint. I did some faint foreshadowing throughout the pregnancy, and the Seth POVs last chapter were bigger hints. We'll see reactions in this chapter. Glad you liked it.

HP: Thanks. Yes, he did.

Amanda: Thanks. I share your wish (for both of us).

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Jacob POV

"What the hell did you do?" Jared snarled, his hands keeping Seth pressed against the couch

"Nothing." Seth was wide-eyed. Smart kid, he wasn't doing anything to set Jared off any more than he had already.

"Jared, let him go," Leah demanded.

"What's going on?" Bella sounded mostly concerned, but with a hint of worry at this out-of-character reaction from Jared.

"Crap!" Now I really hated being the one in charge. I figured out what Jared was going ballistic over. How was I supposed to navigate this minefield?

"Somebody start talking," Bella insisted. From the way Jared was still staring at Seth, it didn't look like he was going to oblige her, which left it up to me.

"Seth imprinted, Bella." I figured it was best to just give it to her straight—she hated it when people tried to pussyfoot around her feelings. But from the way her eyes narrowed as she processed what I meant, maybe I should have softened the blow just a bit.

"On my baby." Each word was soft and measured—never a good sign.

"I didn't mean—" Seth started.

"Shut up," I hissed, wondering if I should reassess Seth's intelligence. "That won't help, kid."

"She's only two days old," Jared growled, not letting up on Seth a bit. The baby seemed to pick up on all the tension and started fussing. Seth's eyes tried to find her behind Jared.

"I'm sorry—I didn't mean—please don't—"

All of a sudden, Bella laughed. All of us, even Jared, turned to look at her. "Paul used to call all the imprinted guys 'whipped' until he became one, too. Now he's going to say that Seth should be the picture in the dictionary for the word."

Now, I knew she had odd reactions to things, but this was bizarre even for her. A minute ago, she was as pissed as Jared, and now she was laughing?

"Jared, let him up, okay? I don't want Charlie to have to ask his tribal counterpart to let his new granddaughter's father off on a charge of murder. Seth, don't move." Bella's eyes hit each of us. "Now, did anyone know that anything like this was possible?"

Everyone looked at me. Why? Did being Alpha mean I automatically had all the answers? "I don't think so, but I don't know for sure. Dad or Old Quil might—they've studied the stories longer."

"Then why don't you go ask them?" Sarcasm dripped from each word. Okay, laugh or no laugh, she was still pissed.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Now, obviously Jared and I have a lot to discuss, and my parents will be over soon for dinner, so I think we should cut things short today." It didn't escape anyone that she wasn't giving us an option on that.

"Jake, tell the others. I want a full pack and elders meeting here, later tonight." Jared was now standing by Bella's chair, almost daring anyone to get too close.

"I will. Shoot me a call or text when the coast is clear, okay?"

A nod, and I was herding everyone back out the door. "Seth, when does your mom get home from work today? Seth, focus."

He was staring up at the apartment. "What? Sorry. She'll be home at four."

"Okay, Quil, go and get your grandfather. I'll go get my dad. Seth, take everyone else to your house. We'll meet you there in a while."

"Jake? Is this going to be okay?" Vanah looked up at me, eyes bright like she wanted to cry. I pulled her into a hug.

"We'll get this figured out somehow, I promise. Go on now, and I'll be there soon."

I stood there for a while, just watching them walk away. Leah and Daniel were nudging Seth along, when the imprinting was urging him to stay. This was going to be a hell of a mess. _Come on now, Jake. You're Alpha now—act like it._ I jogged for home, hoping that my dad would somehow have some answers for us.

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Jared POV

I had never been so angry in my life. My muscles twitched with the urge to—to chase after Seth and make damn sure he never came near my baby girl. How could this have happened? Needing to vent somehow, I grabbed a pillow off the couch and punched it so hard that the seams split and the feathers inside flew everywhere. Remembering I wasn't alone, I spun back around, only to see Bella disappearing down the hall. She was soon back and carrying one of the baby monitors.

"Bella?"

"She's fine. Asleep already and in her crib." She surveyed the fluff-covered couch. "Better the pillow than Seth, I suppose."

"That damn kid—how the hell is this going to look to everyone?"

"What do you mean? You wish it was another wolf?"

"I wish it wasn't any wolf at all. After all we've been through, don't we deserve a normal time of being parents? Why do we have to deal with this?"

"Probably because I have the worst luck imaginable sometimes," Bella answered sourly. "Look, I don't much like it either, but unless the elders have been holding out on everyone, there isn't anything we'll be able to do except to try and accept this."

"Have you really thought about it, though? Think about it, Bella. Seth is Sue's son. Sue and your dad are dancing around each other. What do you think people will say if they get married and her son ends up interested in his granddaughter? In his stepsister's daughter?"

"Ugh," she groaned. "I don't know. Don't you think you're maybe borrowing trouble here? Harry hasn't even been gone a year yet. Charlie's been a confirmed bachelor since I was a toddler. I don't know what might happen with them. It could be everything or nothing." Bella paused. "Is that your main objection to it being Seth?"

"I don't know," I repeated her words back at her.

"I know. Part of me wants to hate him, too."

"And the rest of you?"

"How the hell should I know? I'm not running on all cylinders here. I like him, I hate this, I'm confused, I'm angry, and I don't know what else." Bella's voice trailed off and her face crumpled. "Please tell me this is just a bad dream."

I lost it then, too. Pulling her close, I buried my face in her hair and let my own tears fall. How long we clung to each other was a mystery. Eventually we sat on the couch, just holding one another. The mutual crying jag wore us both out and we dozed until Audrey's fussing woke us up. While Bella took care of her, I went into the bathroom to wash my face and tried to push everything deep down. There was no way that I wanted any of Bella's parents to see how upset we were. I'd just have to bottle all this up until the meeting tonight. I could only pray that the elders knew something we didn't.

"I'll take her," I told Bella. "You might want to freshen up before your parents get here." After a glance at the clock, Bella nodded. Walking around the nursery with my daughter in my arms, I just looked at her. My little angel was so young…she didn't deserve this, _we _didn't deserve this.

"I'm sorry, tsida-wihl. Not much of a dad so far, am I? Can't keep you safe from life."

"If anyone should feel responsible, I should." It surprised me somehow that she was back so soon.

"You? Never. _I'm_ the one who's part of a tribe that goes furry."

"And _I'm_ a girl who got imprinted on. Is it really so bizarre that my daughter could be the perfect match for a wolf when I was for you?" Bella came up in front of me. We stood close together, with Audrey snuggled between my chest and Bella's.

A knocking on the door startled us, even though we had known to be expecting it. "You coming?"

"After they're inside and the cold's gone."

I leaned down to kiss my wife and then my daughter. "We'll figure something out, I promise." It only took a few long strides before I was letting my in-laws into the apartment.

Renee's influence had obviously been responsible for the purchase of healthier options off the diner's menu. I don't think Bella or I would have argued regardless. I wasn't nearly as hungry as I used to be now that I wasn't going wolf, but neither of us had done a huge amount of eating recently and we both needed to.

"You kids doing okay?" Charlie asked. "And what's with the feathers?" I'd done what I could to clean up the mess, but clearly I'd missed some.

"I guess when I crashed for a little nap, I really crashed. One of the pillows burst."

"We've only been home a few hours," Bella shrugged. "Not really much time to have a crisis yet. I'm sure we will, though."

_Yeah, like when I see Seth again,_ I thought.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Renee said. "You've always been an old soul, Bella. Just remember that you _can_ do this, and that you've got plenty of help close by." She sighed. "I wish I could help you out more. I hate that Phil and I have to fly home tomorrow."

Bella hugged her mother tightly. "You've been a big help this last week and a half. I'm so glad you were able to come out when you did, to be at my last appointment and through my labor. It meant so much, having you here. I wish we were closer, too, but we'll just have to make it work somehow."

Charlie insisted on taking care of the kitchen so Renee and Phil could spend every last minute possible with Audrey. Since they'd be leaving first thing in the morning to head for the airport in Port Angeles and their flights home, it ended up being several hours before they left. I couldn't complain, though; the time my in-laws would get to spend with Audrey—and any other children we'd have in the future—would be limited, and I'd never cut it short on them when opportunities did present themselves. I also wasn't going to object to any delay in facing Seth again; if I let myself think about it, I'd only want to go for his throat again. By the time I called Jake back, he and the others had decided that only the elders and older pack members and imprints would come; it would be too hard to explain why the young kids were out so late on a school night.

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Bella POV

Jacob and Paul between them carried Billy upstairs, Embry helped Quil support his grandfather, and the rest arrived in their usual pairs. I knew it was a little pointless and probably unnecessary, but I left Audrey asleep in the nursery. The second-guessing of my decision disappeared when Seth's first move was to look around for her. I think I surprised everyone, including myself, when I moved pretty darn quick and got as close to Seth's face as I could. "Don't. I don't care about any metaphysical reasons or anything else, but you're going to have more to worry about from me than from Jared if you don't watch it."

A soft sleepy noise through the baby monitor made him relax and listen to his mother when she tugged him toward one of the chairs. Sue sat and Seth dropped to the floor in front of her. She looked tired, Billy looked old, and Old Quil looked positively ancient.

"Bella, Jared," she began. "Jacob has filled us in with what he knows."

Old Quil's ancient voice continued, "Billy and I have examined our memories and the written records of past packs. We have been unable to find any past references to this exact situation. The nearest appears to be my grandson and his Claire. From all we can surmise, this will be like any other imprinting."

The next moment, all hell broke loose. Audrey started to cry. Seth started to scramble that way, only to have Jared block him. Seth's attempt to get around my husband resulted in Jared's hand around his throat. He shoved Seth backward to slam against the wall, rattling the hanging pictures.

"You stay the hell away from my daughter," Jared snarled, body tensed against any further move by Seth.

"Jared, you can't—" Sam started.

"Sam, when you've had a teenager imprint on _your_ newborn daughter, _then_ you can tell me how the f-hell I'm supposed to feel and what I can and can't do. Until then, just shut up."

"Calm down, everyone," Billy commanded.

"Calm down?" Jared's voice rose. "My two-day-old daughter just got imprinted on by an almost 15-year-old!"

"Hey, show my dad a little respect here," Jake said.

Jared ignored him, still focused on Billy. "You had 20 years to be the center of your daughters' lives, before other guys took that spot. Don't you dare try to say I should just be fine with only getting _two days_ of that with my own daughter."

"You'll still have that."

"Will I? Seth's worse than a puppy already. Is Audrey even going to be able to twitch without him noticing? Are Bella and I going to have to just accept him hovering over us, watching every move we make with our own child? Is she going to have any normal childhood experiences without him being there? And what if she inherits Bella's coordination instead of mine? Will Seth let her take any tumbles at all or always try to catch her? How will she learn or experience anything for herself?"

"It won't be like that," Sue tried to assure him.

All of Jared's concerns that had just poured out fired off my own. "What'll happen when she gets older and doesn't like our rules? You don't think she'll go running to him? You don't think his desire to make her happy might outweigh the proper bounds of involvement in a parent-child relationship?"

"Bella, I think you two may be overreacting here—"

"Please, don't talk to me about overreacting. Jared's right, she's supposed to be ours now, be ours for years yet. We're not supposed to deal with something like this for a long, long time. It's not Seth—he's a great kid, but this whole idea of an infant imprint…" Yet again, my emotions swung wildly. The anger evaporated, leaving…Well, whatever it was brought Jared's arms around me again. The room around us was silent, until another cry could be heard both in the air and through the monitor. Without a word, Jared led me back to the nursery. I turned off this monitor as he lifted her from the crib.

"Dirty diaper." Once he'd changed her, he asked me, "So what do you want to do?"

"What I really want is to go back in time and do this day over again. But since that isn't an option, we need to get something figured out, before we all go crazy," I started to say more, but broke off when I realized Audrey was starting to root around for a bedtime snack. I felt some embarrassment at the mere thought of nursing her in the same room as the pack, even covered up. But I wasn't about to miss this discussion, either, or just participate via the monitors. Like Sue has said during my labor: embarrassment would go out the window when a baby was involved. I got Audrey positioned, and Jared covered us up before grabbing the rocking chair and pillow, then rejoined the others. Once the baby and I were seated, with Jared next to us, Sue spoke.

"No one will say you don't have the right to be upset about this. You're both still running on adrenaline from the last few days, your own imprint bond has been worked extensively, and Bella, you're dealing with lots of hormones right now. But we should _all_ try to be calm and think before any of us says anything. We may not have much in the way of information right now, but we _will_ get things figured out for everyone. Not everything will get figured out tonight, and it doesn't have to be. It might be enough to just take care of the short-term now and tackle the rest of it later with cooler heads."

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Jared POV

"And to do that, I think we need to take a break. Jared, let's you and me take a walk. Jake will stay here to keep an eye on Bella and Audrey—and on Seth, too." For all that he wasn't Alpha anymore, Sam still knew how to give orders. He snagged my coat and his own and took us both outside.

"How are you?" Sam asked me, for the second time tonight. Most of my anger seemed to have been spent now and I just looked at him.

"How _should_ I be?"

"Pissed, furious, enraged…I think you've covered those already." He nudged me to sit next to him on the bench on the store's porch.

"Yeah." I felt bad—a tiny bit—for roughing Seth up like I had.

"He'll be okay," Sam seemed to know what I was thinking. "I'm sure he's fine already, and, well, I don't think any of us would have reacted any differently. Why else do you think Leah didn't tear into you?"

"How do I deal with this? I hate that I hate him right now, but I do."

Sam's mouth twisted a little. "I know what you mean. After Quil imprinted…I guess I was luckier than you—there was so much else going on that I couldn't take time to focus on how weird it was. Now…I guess we've gotten used to it."

"How did you do that?" I really needed my friend to help me try to figure this out. "Sam, I'm sorry I—"

"You don't need to say anything. You're right—having a niece get imprinted on isn't the same thing has a daughter. As to how…Well, there have been challenges, especially with needing to keep Alyssa in the dark. I guess it's helped that Emily watches Claire so much, and that the guys have used our place as a second home for so long. No one was really going to think anything of them being around each other. Other times, just swinging by her house for a quick look or listen was enough for the bond."

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Bella POV

"I'm sorry, Bella. Really. I didn't mean to—"

"I know, Seth." And I did. I knew that there was no control or premeditation where an imprint was concerned. Still didn't mean I liked the idea of one involving my daughter, but I was thinking a little more clearly now. "Just bear with us, okay? This will be an adjustment for everyone."

"I'll never try to take her away or play the boss or anything. I swear. I just want to help. I could run errands, or get your mail—"

"Seth," Sue interjected. "Why don't we let Bella and Jared talk things over and let you know what _they're_ comfortable with having you do, alright?"

Audrey was finished, so I managed to hand her to Emily and put myself to rights. "Would you like her back now, Bella?"

I took a deep breath. "Seth can have a turn if he wants to."

Sue stood up so Seth could take her place in the chair, and Emily carefully laid Audrey into his arms. He didn't say anything, just rocked from side to side.

"How did you and Sam deal with Quil and Claire?" I asked Emily.

"Watched the pair of them like hungry hawks," she replied.

"We all will, Bella," Sue promised.

"I'll follow the rules, promise," Seth vowed.

"Just give us some space, okay?" Jared asked, walking back in with Sam. "I'm going to try to be okay with this, but I'm going to need some time and not having you underfoot will really help."

We spent a little while longer talking things over. Sue and the other elders gave us their oaths that they would keep a very close watch on Seth's behavior and his interactions with Audrey until she was old enough to make her own decisions. Personally, I didn't think she'd ever be old enough for that, but it was a problem for another year.

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Jared and I basically decided that we were going to ignore the whole imprinting idea as much as possible, if only for our own sanity. Besides, we had enough to do taking care of Audrey and ourselves. The help Laura had recruited kept us well-fed, and I privately admitted that I didn't mind not cooking. I just relished each moment that my new little family was spending together. I was taking things about as easy as I had right before I'd given birth. Jared rarely let me lift anything other than the baby or the remote control for the TV; he insisted on using his time off from the store to make things as easy for me as he could. By the night before our first family guests arrived, Jared was even able to start helping with the nighttime feedings. I was still waking up along with him, but it took only a kiss before I would let him take charge.

Having come from a very small family, it was a little overwhelming to have so many of Jared's relatives—and this just one side of his family—coming to see the newest member. I was spared from being a lot overwhelmed by the schedule and crowd control that James and Laura organized. It did give me a warm feeling to see how everyone's interactions with Jared were shifting now that he was a dad. I even had fun opening all the presents they brought for the baby.

After they left, Jared said, "You know, we're a week into this now. How do you think we're doing?"

"Pretty good, I'd say."


	76. Day By Day

AN: Thank you so much to all my readers, reviewers, favoriters, and alerters. You're wonderful. Sorry this took a while (writer's block and some school due dates). As an FYI, as of September 25, only 54 more days until Breaking Dawn Part 1! And if you haven't seen the new official trailer…do that right after you read this chapter.

HP: Thank you.

HappyFace6: Thanks.

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From last chapter:

_After they left, Jared said, "You know, we're a week into this now. How do you think we're doing?"_

"_Pretty good, I'd say."_

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Bella POV

Naturally, that didn't last. Once my milk came in, going too long without nursing was, well, painful. But catching Audrey when she was awake wasn't always easy. _At least I can stock up for nighttime_, I thought. Late in the evening on Audrey's one-week birthday, everything seemed to go wrong. She was crying like she was starving, but she wouldn't latch on. She screamed in frustration, which got me upset that I wasn't helping her.

"What's wrong?" Jared burst into the room, the just-retrieved mail scattering from his hand to the floor.

"I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can."

"Don't tell me that when it obviously isn't working! She won't latch on, and it hurts, and—" I wanted to scream along with my daughter, but managed to restrain it to a flood of hot tears. What kind of mother was I when I couldn't even feed my own baby? I held Audrey and rocked her as we both cried.

"Bella?" I looked up, focusing my watering eyes enough to recognize Sue.

"Sue? I'm sorry, he shouldn't have called you this late—"

"Bella, I offered help anytime, and I meant it. Part of my job is helping you not be upset or frustrated while you navigate this stage. There are going to be issues, and I want to help you work through them before they escalate from minor to major."

"This isn't minor," I grumbled, again upset with myself.

"Remember what I said at the clinic? It takes time and practice for you and the baby to get good at breastfeeding. Despite what we might assume, it isn't instinctive for either of you. It's not uncommon at all to go back and forth, having it work perfectly one time and then not the next time. Would you like to try it again? If it doesn't work, I've got Jared heating up a bottle from the fridge in case it's needed. If it comes to it, some women pump and bottle-feed the baby with their milk that way, and it's just fine.

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A few days later, Sue stopped by to see how we were doing; not just with handling a newborn, but also with the other stuff.

"I wish I could say I'm sorry Jared reacted that way," I told her, "but…"

"She's your baby," Sue finished. "It's been a while, but I remember what it's like to be a new parent. Now, I would prefer he not go after Seth again, though."

"I know. I hope that was the worst of it. Seth's a great kid, and with time…"

"We'll take it as it comes," she agreed. "Now, how are you feeling? Any concerns?"

"I think we're okay. Mostly taking things day by day. We've survived a couple sponge baths, and Jared's getting pretty good with the diapers." I laughed. "Are all guys that funny about it?"

"What did he do?"

I laughed again, remembering…

(flashback)

"Is she supposed to poop this much?"

"Yes, Jared."

"Is is supposed to be this color? It wasn't before."

"Yes, Jared. The first diaper was one color, the ones with the colostrum were another color, and now they're this color because she's getting milk. Don't you remember from the book?"

"Words are one thing, poop is something else."

(end flashback)

Sue laughed, too. "I have to say that, yes, most guys are like that. He should just wait until she starts on baby food—that'll change the smell of those diapers. I'm glad things are going a bit smoother for you. How are you doing physically?"

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My dad flatly refused to consider having us come to his house for dinner. "I don't mind, and this is easier for you, Bella." He even insisted on showing off how well he could reheat a precooked meal. "And I can even cut lettuce," he teased.

"I'm so proud," I teased back.

After we ate, he and Jared turned on the TV and managed to find some sports to watch. Dad held her every minute he could and even asked us to coach him through a diaper change. "You look so good with her," I told him.

"I just want to be a good grandpa. I, well, Bells, I feel bad that you didn't get to have that. I want to make sure she doesn't miss out on any of it."

"I did fine," I assured him. "But I know what you mean. I'm glad Audrey's going to get to grow up with so much family around her. I wish mom and Phil could be part of this, too."

"They'll do what they can. You guys talk, don't you?"

"Yeah. We Skype every few days, but… Well, maybe Phil could get transferred to a team closer to here someday."

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Jared POV

I took a break from running loads of laundry—that was another adjustment for us: how much more frequently we were doing the laundry now—to peek into the nursery. I smiled at the sound of my daughter greedily consuming her latest feeding. "I love you."

"Me, or my cleavage?" Bella snorted and gave me the raised-eyebrow look. "I know quite well where you're looking."

My mouth quirked and I shrugged. "Hey, I'm a guy—I'm not going to deny it looks good. But I love you, and I love looking at you now just as much as I've always loved looking at you. And yeah, watching you skin-to-skin with our daughter…yeah, it's sexy as hell."

For that, I got another look from my wife. "You'd better stop thinking that way for a while, remember?"

"I know."

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That weekend, we had the second round of "introduce the baby to the family", when my mom's side came to visit.

"She's always sleeping," Drew complained.

"Babies do that," he was informed. "The older she gets, the more she'll interact with people. Before long, she'll be pestering you and you'll be _begging_ for her to leave you alone."

I was proud of myself for keeping my cool when Seth crashed the get-together. "Hey, Seth."

"Hey, Jared." Seth played up his cute-factor for all it was worth. "Thought I'd see if I could spring Drew free for a while." Unsaid, but understood, was that he was really here for a glimpse of Audrey. I tried not to mind—and partly succeeded. I remembered what that feeling was like from those early days.

"You can try."

Mom and dad ended up saying no then, but Seth did manage a good look at his imprint. "Wow, she's getting bigger already."

Bella understood and held her up for a better view. "A little bit every day."

"Just the way it should be," my mom agreed.

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Bella POV

"Bath time, sweetie," I cooed, picking up my daughter and carrying her into the kitchen. Jared was getting her little tub set up, but as soon as he saw us, he shot into the living room to crank up the thermostat.

"Are you going to be like this every time we give her a bath?"

"Don't laugh at me," he pouted. "She could get cold."

"She goes in the water the moment she's undressed. She'll be fine." I handed Audrey to him and starting peeling away the layers she wore. As he turned toward the baby bath, he was carrying her just as he had the first time: with all the concentration of a man handling nitroglycerin. "Jared, relax. She won't break."

"But she could slip or—"

"You need to stop watching the news. We're not going to leave her alone in the bathtub for years and years."

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Jared POV

By the end of our second week home, we'd gotten settled into something of a routine. Bella recovered well, but I found myself biting my tongue sometimes when she wanted to try doing a little more. I was happy to do things for her, but as she reminded me, "You're going to be back at work soon, so I need to start doing a little more for myself. I'm not going to push myself too far, but I can't just sit around like millionaire's lazy wife."

"You just had a baby—to me that gives you the right to be a little lazy."

"Maybe so, but that's just not me. I didn't mind as much when I couldn't see my feet or get up without help, but I'm not pregnant anymore. I _need_ to do stuff."

I sighed. "I know, and I'm trying. I just don't want you doing too much too soon."

"Which is why I'm taking things slowly," she reasoned. "Sue did say I should try to work my way back up to my normal routine gradually, and she says I'm doing fine."

"I know. But I like this, being here to take care of you. Maybe I'll just stay home with you all the time."

"You do that anyway—the taking care part—but if you stayed home all the time, we'd (A.) be broke, and (B.) one of us would probably be in jail for murder-by-frustration."

"Well, fine," I huffed, teasing. I knew I wasn't going to win this one, and she was absolutely right. I couldn't act like a caveman and not let her be the modern woman I'd fallen in love with. Unless I could see that she was struggling, I'd have to make myself stand back. Despite that, I still did whatever I could to help her out, running loads of laundry, making sure anything she'd need in the kitchen was on a shelf or in a cabinet in easy reach, gave Bella time to herself…That part I didn't mind, as it meant I got Audrey all to myself. I was glad I wasn't phasing anymore, as the guys would have ragged me incessantly for being all gaga over her.

Seeing my mom's family the first weekend in February was great. My aunt was beyond thrilled to see Audrey lying on the sheets she'd made, wrapped in the blanket that had arrived in the mail our first day home. It was a little strange to see the difference in how they acted toward me, different even from this past year, different from just being an adult, and even from being a married man.

My parents offered to move our regular Wednesday family dinners to our apartment, but Bella declined. "If Audrey's bundled up and covered up, she won't get cold just going from apartment to car and car to house. Besides, I need a break from the apartment every so often."

"I know what you mean," my mom laughed. "Practically every mom feels that way. And it doesn't help right now that it's wintertime, when people get a little stir crazy anyway. But we don't mind coming to you if that's easier. I know what it's like trying to get things together to go anywhere with a baby."

"I just leave it packed all the time," Bella laughed. "Like we did with my hospital bag before she was born."

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Leah POV

"You still want to do this?" Daniel asked me. "We can stay longer, or for good, if you like."

"No, I need to spread my wings. I need to see more than just the peninsula. Visits will be enough. I'm ready to go." And I was. We'd mainly stayed this long to see Bella and Jared's baby—which we had—planning to leave after she arrived. Daniel had been so wonderful about settling himself here for my sake once I'd imprinted on him, but he'd been out in the bigger world. He didn't deserve to be tied down here, especially now that I was free to leave. And how I wanted to leave. Mom would be fine; she had work, Charlie Swan maybe, and Seth. And Seth…

A few days after the imprinting debacle, Jared had come to see me. "Are we going to be okay, Lee?"

"Depends. Are you going to try to choke my little brother again?"

"Depends. But I wasn't really trying to before."

"Try _really hard_ not to _ever,_" I warned. Seth might be annoying sometimes, but he was my baby brother and I'd defend him to the death.

"Kinda surprised you didn't come after me then for it," Jared admitted.

"I thought about it," was my return confession. "But then I asked myself if I'd act any different than that if I was in Bella's place or yours…and I wouldn't have. I get why you both were so upset, but, Jared, that was your one free shot. Do that again, and you'd better have a damn good reason for it—and that reason had better involve Seth having done something _really_ bad. Got it?"

"Yeah."

I took the leap and gave notice at work. Then it was packing up to leave the only home I'd ever known. We got quite the send-off from everyone when we left. Sam and Emily wished us well and warned Daniel to take good care of me. "Don't be a stranger, Lee-lee," Sam murmured. "Have the adventures you always dreamed of, and then come back to tell us all about them."

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Jared POV

I was due to start back to work in mid-February, so I intended to take full advantage of every last day with my wife, especially our last free weekend. I knew I'd have to think of something special, since it was also the weekend right before Valentine's Day. This was the first time I'd get to celebrate this holiday with Bella, so coming up with something big was required. It was hard to decide exactly what to do for this occasion, though. Staying on the rez or in Forks didn't seem special enough. Kalaloch and Port Angeles were both about an hour away and I thought we'd both be okay with going that far…but I was eyeing the lodge for our first anniversary, and we'd done quite a few dates in Port Angeles. Man, I was never going to think of something that fully expressed how much Bella meant to me. But if I could…Audrey was a great baby, so we could leave her for a few hours. I'd call my—no, I couldn't do that. My parents would be celebrating the holiday themselves.

"Jared? You okay?" As if my thoughts had conjured him, my dad broke into my musings.

"Just trying to figure out something for Valentine's Day. I think I've done too good a job up till now—hard to keep topping myself."

"You'll be setting yourself up for a never-ending endeavor if you try to do that," he advised. "I imagine Bella will be happy to just spend time with you—and get out of the apartment for a little while. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just think of something simple that she'd like, and your mom and I will watch our granddaughter for the evening."

"But you—"

"Will take your mom out on a different evening. Don't worry about that. We've had more than 20 Valentine's days together, but this is the first for you and Bella. Firsts are important—you'll find that out with every milestone you watch your daughter reach. Plan a special time with your wife and let your mom and me spoil our granddaughter."

"Thanks."

A TV trailer for an upcoming movie gave me an idea, and I hopped online to check the times of the showings that weekend. A couple of phone calls later, I had movie tickets on hold and a reservation for an early restaurant dinner beforehand. Mom echoed dad's offer of Valentine's weekend babysitting. "I'm letting Savannah and Drew have a few friends over that Saturday anyway."

I knew that Seth would probably be one of those friends, but I also knew that he have to keep it low-key around my parents. Keeping him away from Audrey wasn't an option, even if I could make myself be that cruel—which I couldn't. I'd used some of those late-night hours when Audrey was taking a bottle to do some serious thinking. I knew how Seth was feeling—it hadn't been all that long ago that I'd been a newly imprinted wolf myself. That didn't mean I was ashamed of how I'd reacted that first night when Seth imprinted—I was Audrey's dad; protecting her was my main job—but I recognized that I couldn't let that affect us moving forward. Seth would have to prove himself to us, and I'd have to give him the chances to do that.

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AN: A little shorter than usual, but I think it's still good. Would love to know what you think. I'm busy planning out the rest of the story, and I can say that there will be 79 chapters for sure. Not sure about more than that, but there won't be less. Then I will dive into my next Bella/pack story.


	77. Happy Valentine's Day

AN: Here's a longer than usual chapter as a thank you to all my wonderful readers/reviewers.

YankeeGirlNJ: thank you. I have to admit that I'll also be sad to say goodbye to this story. It's been such a boost to me all these months. But I'll be very proud of myself for seeing it through to the end (I was a little nervous at the beginning that I'd fizzle out partway through). I will be starting up a new story after getting this one concluded.

HP: Thank you. If you set an author alert, you should get the notice when the new story goes up.

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Seth POV

"Does it make you angry?" Brady asked me, spinning the cap from his water bottle on the cafeteria table.

"What?"

"That Jared and Bella don't want you around anymore?"

"They just asked for space. I get that."

"But it's like they don't trust you around Audrey," Collin objected. "I mean, you helped save her and Bella from those leeches and now…"

"Mom says new parents can be pretty antsy about having _anyone_ around their baby, even family. Take that and add our family heritages and this relationship wrinkle…it could be a lot worse."

Drew didn't quite buy that, though. "Jared hasn't phased at all in weeks, now; months even."

"But that was part of him 24/7 for a solid two years," I reminded my friend. "It's still gonna affect how he thinks and feels. Look, its fine, really. I want what's best for her; right now, that's her parents. I get a peek every few days, and run by every night. That's enough for now. I'll have plenty of time later on to be #1 with her. Bella and Jared deserve this time with her—they've been through enough weird stuff—this time ought to be normal for them. I'm not going to rock the boat when we all want the same thing for Audrey: that she will be safe and happy."

"You're weird," Brady shook his head.

"And a wuss," Collin added.

"Whatever." I brushed it off. They didn't really understand this, which was okay; they weren't imprinted. For that matter, I didn't understand all of it myself. But I knew it would be fine in the end. I headed outside for some fresh air before the afternoon classes started. With my high body temperature, the heat in the school was a bit much sometimes.

"Ignore them," Quil advised, appearing beside me.

"Planned on it."

"I get what you meant, you know," he continued, proving that he'd heard at least part of my conversation.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"They'll come around."

"I know." I stopped walking and turned to face Quil. "You know what? I really wish that everyone would stop expecting me to be mad at them for being upset about this, or for me to be mad about this. I'm not."

"Do they know that?"

It took me a second to play back the last bit of our conversation and figure out who _they_ referred to. "I think so. Maybe. I hope so. I don't know. I've kind of been lying low, remember?"

"Right. Well, maybe you should, so they know for sure."

"I will. Sometime."

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Jared POV

We had lunch a little earlier than normal the Saturday of Valentine's weekend, both because we'd be having an early dinner, and because we wanted to get Audrey over to my parents' place in time for her nap.

"What am I supposed to wear?" Bella wondered.

"Whatever you want."

"That doesn't help. Can I get a hint of what we're doing?" She sounded a little exasperated with me—not a big shock given how she felt about surprises. I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around her. We stood there for several minutes, and I savored the simple act of inhaling her scent. It had all the same elements I'd loved since the beginning, but with the new layered components of milk, baby powder, and Audrey.

"I've been a jerk lately, haven't I?" I murmured.

Bella shifted in my embrace to wrap her own arms around me. "Not really. I know why you were upset—I was upset, too. But I think it's time to move on. What will be, will be, and nothing's going to change that. I know how much of a blessing our imprinting has been, so how can I really be mad that Audrey will get to have that same blessing? Seth is such a great kid—we both know he'll take good care of her; just like you have with me. We're never going to have to worry that she'll get her heart broken the way I did."

"She won't, will she?"

"No. Do you think we can give him the all-clear?"

"Yeah. Guess it works out well that he's going to be over at my folks' place today, huh?"

"I agree. But before we can get her over there, _you_ need to give me a hint on what to wear and what we'll be doing."

"It's nothing fancy," I admitted. "I was trying to think of something really elaborate, with this being our first Valentine's Day, before my dad said you'd probably like something simple the best. We're just going to Port Angeles for dinner and a movie. We'll be back in plenty of time to put Audrey to bed tonight."

"That does sound nice," Bella replied, pressing a little closer to me. "I'm sorry you won't get the full romantic experience this holiday."

I pulled back just a little, enough to look down into her face. "Bella…our relationship is about a _lot_ more than sex. Granted, sex with you is beyond mind-blowing, but that's not everything. We will have many more Valentine's Days for the all-out romance. Right now, this weekend is about us, and remembering that we're still a young married couple—we're not just parents. I know that having Audrey now changes things, but I _never_ want to lose the bond we share. We've always got to make time for _us_, even if it's as simple as going to a movie for a couple hours."

"We will."

Bella ended up wearing the same outfit she had for her birthday celebration. "You look beautiful," I told her, and extended a small bouquet of yellow roses and Black-Eyed Susan's.

"I'm just glad I can fit into this again." Her hand fussed with the top's hem. Then, her eyes shut for a second. "That sounded so ungrateful. Starting over. Thank you. I love it when you give me 'our flower'.

"The yellow roses are for a new beginning as well as for joy and happiness. Happy Valentine's Day to my amazing wife and mother of my child."

"And Happy Valentine's Day to my wonderful husband, the incredible father of my child."

I reclaimed the flowers and got them into a vase, while Bella settled Audrey into her carrier. I returned just as she clicked the last buckle. "C'mon, cub. Off to grandma and grandpa's."

"Cub?"

"Well, we didn't exactly give her a name that lends itself easily to abbreviation for a nickname, did we? I could call her "Audi", but then I'd be accused of thinking she's a car brand. Besides, I am—or rather was—a wolf, and a wolf's offspring are called cubs, so it makes sense."

Bella shook her head, smiling in spite of herself. "Do you think sleep-deprivation is making us act and talk silly? We didn't used to do this before."

"Maybe. But my parents would probably say that we've acted uber-mature for our ages, so we're probably due for a little silliness."

"I guess I never do things the normal way, so why should this be any different? Just so we get over it before she's old enough to notice."

"If we must," I sighed heavily, as if I was being put upon. "Come on now, mama. Our date awaits."

When we let ourselves into my parents' house, I wasn't prepared for the greeting we got. "Come to Grandma, Audrey!"

"Love you too, mom."

"Oh, Jared, I'm always happy to see you. But this is the first time I'll get to spoil my granddaughter where you can't see me. I'm a little excited." Mom stood up from bending over Audrey's carrier to give me a hug.

"She's only baby-proofed the house twice today," dad commented. "You look lovely, Bella."

"Thanks. Feeling better every day."

"It takes our bodies nine months to go through all those changes; it'll take a while to get back to 'normal'," was my mom's reply.

"I know. I'm not too worried about it, I suppose. After all, I've got at least four months to get back into shape for that bikini."

Her sly smirk had me groaning, "Have mercy."

"Now where's the fun in that?" Fortunately for me—my parents were listening—Bella left it at that.

"Hey, Mrs. Mahan—oh, hi." Seth walked in from the direction of the family room, acting surprised even though he'd heard us coming.

"Hey, Seth," Bella replied. "Having fun?"

"Been trouncing Jake at one of those racing games. You ready to get out for a while?"

"I suppose I am. I love spending time with her, but looking at the same walls all the time gets a little old."

"Well, then, I'd better get you going, shouldn't I? Here's her bag—should have everything she'll need." I pulled out the bottles and went to put them in the fridge while my mom unbuckled Audrey and lifted her from the carrier.

"We'll be fine," my dad promised. "We _have_ done this before, remember?"

"Like you were any different after you had me," I retorted.

"Touché."

"Get going, you two," mom scolded.

"Have fun," I said. "Hey, mom?"

"Yes?"

"If the teens rile things up too much, you could always punish them with diaper duty."

"Hey!" Seth mock-protested. We locked gazes, and I let him know we'd be okay. Then he shrugged. "I guess that would be pretty effective. I'll behave, I swear."

"Jared, I want my date night," Bella wheedled.

"After you." We both took deep breaths after shutting the door. "Okay, Port Angeles, here we come."

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Bella POV

With Muse songs playing in the background, our trip passed quickly with light conversation.

"Not pushing in any way, but have you and Emily talked any about starting up your catering again?"

"Honestly, we haven't. With me and a newborn, and Emily dealing with morning sickness now, I don't think either of us is really up for it right now."

"Morning sickness? Sam hasn't mentioned it."

I snorted in disbelief. "Did _we_? It isn't fun for either of them, and I know Emily doesn't want to advertize it."

"Can I at least remind Sam that it won't last forever?"

"You can tell him it _shouldn't_ last forever. Remember Sue told us some women are sick the whole time."

Jared shuddered. "_No one_ deserves that; Emily, least of all."

We got to Port Angeles early enough to score a parking spot right on the street with the movie theater and the Bella Italia restaurant. Jared checked his watch after helping me out of the car. "We've got time to hit the bookstore before our dinner reservation."

"I'd like that. I'm running low on things to read." We each found a book for ourselves and one for Audrey, too. "No one is ever too young to start building a library," I explained when Jared gave me a look.

At the restaurant, we savored a huge plate of mushroom ravioli, salads, and a rich chocolate cake for dessert. The food we'd been eating lately was good, but this was absolutely amazing, just like it had been every other time I'd had this dish.

"Gnomeo and Juliet?" I asked when Jared picked up our tickets at the theater.

"Animated adaptation of _Romeo and Juliet_. Besides, look at the other options." Doing so, I conceded the point—the other options weren't ones I'd like. "Anyway, we ought to get in the habit of liking animated movies since we'll be seeing a lot of them from here on out."

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Seth POV

"They are so adorable," Mrs. Mahan told her husband, after Jared and Bella left.

"He was right, you know. We were just like that the first time we went out and left him with family."

"I remember. I'm sorry, Seth," she turned to me, "What did you need?"

"Just some more drinks. Drew and Jake just had a soda chugging contest and ran through the supply in the family room." I tried to talk normally, even as I stared at the bundle of Audrey in her arms. I was beyond thrilled to be so close to her, and to have the promise of more in the future. I knew that Jared's look a few minutes ago had meant that we were okay again. I was glad and relieved. They were my friends above and beyond being the parents of my imprint.

"Do we need clean-up?" Mr. Mahan asked.

"Nah, they've got bottomless stomachs."

"I should be used to it by now, after Jared," she laughed. "Alright, help yourself. But make sure that you and Savannah get some, too—don't let those boys hog everything."

"We won't." Knowing that the grandparents wanted their time with Audrey, I grabbed the drinks and some more snacks and headed back to the others.

"Wasn't sure they were going to leave," Jake quipped.

"It was actually kind of cute."

"Got the all-clear, huh?" Drew questioned as he grabbed one of the sodas.

"Yeah. She's getting grandparent time right now. Want another rematch?" I asked Jake.

"Nah, I'll throw Drew under the bus for a while. I want some time with _my_ girl." That made Savannah blush. Not the kind of Valentine's Day that most of the imprinted pairs in the pack were having, but he was luckier than Quil or I on that front—he just had to wait a couple years to go all-out for her. But I was going to get a literal lifetime of memories with Audrey.

"Hey, bring it on," Drew made a blind catch of the controller Jake tossed him.

By common and unspoken agreement, we focused on the game for a while and mostly pushed Jake and Savannah into the background of our awareness. That ended when a loud noise from out in the house shot me to my feet when Audrey started crying. Collin and Brady blew into the room, arguing like they often did.

"You idiot, slamming the door like that," Collin accompanied his complaint with a head-smack.

"How was I supposed to know she was sleeping? Or that she'd wake up so easy?"

"She's a baby, and babies sleep," Collin stated the obvious, which Brady treated as a revelation.

Audrey wasn't as loud now, but I still wanted and needed to make sure she was okay. "Trounce them," I ordered Drew and Jake, tossing my controller to Collin. Manners ingrained in me by my parents made me grab some of the trash to throw away before heading upstairs. Audrey was in her grandpa's arms, snuffling, while her grandma heated a bottle.

"You didn't have to do that, Seth," she told me when I dumped my armload of trash into the can.

"My mom would skin me if she found out I didn't."

"That she might. Good for you."

"She okay?" I asked.

"She just got startled, but she's fine. It was about time for her to have another bottle anyway."

"Could I maybe…?" I shameless piled on all the charm I had.

"Don't you want to play with the others?"

"I was looking for a break, actually. Anyway, it's only a four-player game and I've had 2 turns already."

"Alright, if you really want to." She directed me to one of the living room chairs and followed with the bottle and a burp rag. "Now, Seth," Mrs. Mahan told me, after she'd set the bottle down and claimed Audrey from her husband. "Hold her like this," she demonstrated before letting me try it. A small adjustment, and then I got the bottle. "Tickle her mouth, then tilt the bottle just so, and…there you go, sweetheart. Enjoy." Jared's parents settled on the couch and started up a movie—the second Star Wars prequel.

I really didn't pay attention to the movie; all I could focus on was this most important part of my world and how I was looking out for her just like she needed me to. _I swear I'll never let you down, _I promised. After a while, Mrs. Mahan asked me to check how much Audrey had eaten. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Look at the bottle. There will be marks along the side showing how many ounces of milk are still there. I have to admit, I wish they had had those bottles when I needed them for the kids."

"They didn't?" I didn't know anything about baby stuff, so I wasn't sure what to say about that.

"No. We used to have to take the bottle out of the baby's mouth to check—made for unhappy diners at times. So how much?"

"Couple ounces."

"Time to burp then. Gentle pull the bottle out of her mouth, and put it on the table." Following directions, I got Audrey up onto my shoulder and started patting her back to help her burp. For such a tiny thing, she sure had a good burp—and spit-up reflex. I felt a warm wet spot on the back side of my shoulder. "Oops, forgot to tell you to drape the burp cloth first."

I turned down the offer of a new shirt. "We're not done yet, and Drew won't thank me for going through all of his clean shirts if I have to change clothes every time she burps." She polished off the rest of her bottle—without spitting up on me again—and fell asleep on my chest. "It's okay," I whispered when Mrs. Mahan offered to take her from me. "She's comfortable and so am I."

When the movie ended, the gaming was turned off and everyone came into the kitchen for homemade pizza. Then, Jake, Collin, Brady, and I had to go home. "See you later," I whispered to Audrey.

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Bella POV

"How'd she do?" I asked Laura when Jared and I got back to La Push.

"Like an angel, of course. Had a couple naps, two bottles, some good burps—"

"And even spit up on Seth once," James interrupted.

"Did she?" Jared looked proud, and smirked when I gave him a look. "It's a guy-thing, Bella."

"And she's a girl. Did you apologize?" I questioned my daughter, who just offered a baby smile. "Okay, sweet girl, time to go home."

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"Hey, Bella, do we know anyone in California?" Jared slid into the apartment with the mail in his hands.

"I don't think so. Why?"

"We've got something from someone in L.A." He handed me the envelope in question, and claimed Audrey for a cuddle.

"I can't think of anyone, unless…" I scrabbled in the coffee table drawer for a letter opener—standard hardware for me nowadays—and somehow managed to slit the envelope open. From it tumbled a folded paper and small card. I ignored the latter in favor of the former.

**Bella,**

**I know you may be surprised to hear from us, but I hope you will give us the chance to explain why. We recently completed the sale of our former home in Forks, and during the closing the realtor there passed on information about you. We did not ask for this, but they apparently thought we should know. We are so happy for you about your marriage and especially your new baby. We wish you every joy in your life. We were devastated to hear of how detrimental our departure from Forks was to you, as we have belated learned that Edward was less than forthcoming about the truth regarding the end of your relationship with him. Please know that we have expressed our disappointment and anger to him in no uncertain terms. We know that nothing can make up for what you went through, but please accept this small token of our regret for the way events unfolded.**

**Sincerely,**

**Dr. Carlisle and Esme Cullen, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper**

"Bella?"

I handed Jared the letter, which he read while I looked down at my lap for the other thing that had been in the envelope. Lying on top of my legs was a rectangular plastic card. "They didn't!**"**

"What?"

"It's an Amazon gift card."

"Buying our forgiveness?" His brows lowered in irritation.

"They're rich, so they probably _are_ used to money solving most problems. I know that Alice believes shopping is the cure for anything. But I don't think they're buying our forgiveness exactly. Soothing their guilty consciences, maybe."

"How much is it worth?"

"It doesn't say. Probably more than I'd like, though."

"What do you want to do with it?"

I considered the question carefully. "I'm not sure. Part of me would love to just toss it, but the practical part of me says to use it. Goodness knows we'll have enough expenses with a baby now."

"They owe us," Jared said, and I nodded. It might be easy to view this as charity or a pay-off, but Jared was right. With all they'd done to me, I did deserve something in compensation.

At dinner that night, his parents caught us a little off guard when they asked about Jared's unscheduled break that afternoon.

"What came in the mail today?"

We exchanged a glance before Jared answered. "It was a gift card from the family of Bella's ex. Seems they just found out what a bastard he was when he broke up with her, and sent it to her as an apology."

"Language, Jared," his mom chided.

"Sorry. And before you ask, we're keeping it. Can't return a gift card, and they didn't include their address anyway."

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With the arrival of the letter and gift card, it probably wasn't a surprise that I thought about the Cullens that night, despite my intention to forget all about them again. I found myself thinking back to our first day home, when we'd kept our word and called the Cullens to announce Audrey's arrival.

(flashback)

"Bella?"

"Rosalie. I didn't interrupt a hunting trip or anything, did I?"

"No, we're at home tonight. Is she here?" I actually heard a faint noise in the background and wondered if everyone was with her now.

"She is. She got here Monday evening." I offered the details on Audrey's weight and length, which had Carlisle comment, "Excellent."

"What's her name?" Emmett burst out, so I guessed the phone was probably in speaker-mode.

"Audrey Nayeli Rose Mahan."

"After me?" Rosalie's voice was clearly stunned, which I could understand. We'd been able to pick out our daughter's first two names easily, but it had only been with a lot of time and thought that we'd decided to add the tribute to the woman who had helped us.

"You helped protect them," Jared said. "Doesn't mean I like your kind any more now than I did before, but I'm not going to be a fool and ignore that without you doing what you did that I might have lost them both."

"It was the least I could do." Her tone was more normal now. "How was the rest of your pregnancy? An easy delivery?"

"It was fine," I told her. "Uneventful, really. I hit every benchmark like clockwork, didn't gain too much weight, even delivered right on my due date. Labor was…labor. I'm feeling okay now, thanks to the meds."

"Unusual to hit the date exactly," Carlisle observed.

"Well, you know me," I noted.

Esme cut in with, "I'm so happy you're feeling better."

"Who does she look like?" Alice wanted to know. "And please tell me she has cute clothes!"

"Her grandmas have done a great job of decking her out so far," Jared snorted. "Them and everyone else we know. Not quite sure who she'll end up looking most like. She's still a red-faced newborn infant and all. Dark hair, but that's no big surprise. We both have dark eyes, so odds are that she will, too. Guess we'll wait and see."

Audrey grunted and squished her face. Then, "Again?"

"Dirty diaper?" Jared asked.

"Of course. No, I'll get this one. _You_ can get the one after her next feeding."

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Jared POV

When Bella had disappeared, I twisted the knob on the monitor to make extra sure she wouldn't overhear this. "He hasn't done anything stupid, has he?" I figured they would know who I meant. He hadn't spoken up yet, which could be good or bad. But if he'd gone and committed suicide…the last thing I'd let him do was cause Bella any guilt.

"No," the doc's wife answered. "We got his solemn oath on that. He _is_ on his own right now, but he checks in and Alice says things are stable."

"Everything okay back there now?" the Southern drawl said that this was Jasper, speaking for the first time.

"Nice and quiet. I'd forgotten what life could be like without all the supernatural…stuff."

"You mean shit," Emmett boomed.

"Maybe, but I'm a dad now. Gotta watch my language."

"Yeah," Bella laughed, coming back into the living room with a re-diapered baby. "You definitely don't want to explain to any of our parents that our daughter learned to curse from you."

"You mean, let the rest of the crew do that?"

"Absolutely not! They do that, and they'll get a batch of my brownies!"

"Bella…" the pixie sounded, well, hesitant.

"What, Alice?"

"When we were there last fall, I didn't get the chance to say 'thank you'."

"For what?" she wanted to know.

"The videotape from Phoenix. That's what Jasper and I were doing most of that year—tracking down the clues James gave you about me. I know who I was as a human. I don't remember it any more than I did before, but I know now." Alice went on to explain what she'd learned: her name, where she'd lived, tidbits about her life and the asylum she'd been put in. I wasn't quite sure what it was all about, but decided I'd wait and ask Bella later.

"We need to go," I said. "We've got family coming with dinner in a little while."

"We understand," Carlisle said. "Thank you for informing us of your daughter's safe arrival."

"It does mean a lot," Jasper said. "This, and her name."

"I'm glad you appreciate it," Bella told him, told them all. "Because this is it. No more calls, no updates. Nothing. This is my life; I'm looking forward and not back. I wish you well, but I've moved on." In a move I would have cheered if Audrey hadn't fallen asleep, Bella flipped her phone shut. "Okay, that's done."

"Almost. What did Alice mean?"

"When James was toying with me in Phoenix, before the Cullens showed up and he bit me, he said things about Alice. He'd hunted her once, but she'd gotten away from him. It was part of what made him go after me the way he did; he'd lost Alice and the Cullens had gotten her, so he thought he should take me away from them to make it even. I guess the clues he gave were enough for Alice to track down her past."

"Didn't she know already?"

"No. She didn't know anything, except her name, I guess. Edward said once that they usually forgot things about their pasts when they changed from human to vampire. Some remembered just about everything—like Carlisle—and others, nothing—like Alice—but most of them were somewhere in the middle."

"Good for her, I suppose. It _would_ be really weird to not know anything about yourself."

"I know that it bothered her sometimes."

"So, she's got answers, and now we're done with them."

(end flashback)

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Jared POV

The weekend after Valentine's Day, Angela and Ben finally were able to make the trip back to Forks to meet Audrey for the first time. They'd seen the pictures Bella had emailed to Angela, of course, but she said it just wasn't the same.

"Oh, Bella, she's so beautiful," Angela's voice was hushed, awed.

"Just like her mama," I grinned. To me, Bella would always be the most beautiful creature in existence, but my daughter ranked a very close second.

"You're going to have fun when she grows up," Ben commented, lightly touching Audrey's fist with his finger.

"Good thing my father-in-law is a cop, isn't it?" This time, I smirked. Bella and I both knew it wouldn't be needed, but it was almost the expected thing to say.

"Could I hold her?" Angela asked.

"Sure." Bella laid Audrey in the cradle of her friend's arms. Right away, Angela started swaying back and forth.

"Want one of your own?" I teased them.

Ben's face took on a terrified expression, and he gave me an "are you kidding me?" look. "I admire you immensely for managing this, but I'd run screaming into the forest if it was me, at least for a few years yet. Sorry if that sounds—"

"No, I know what you mean. I'm sure my parents will start _encouraging_ me to go back to school for something—set an example for my siblings and all. There's that branch of Peninsula College in Forks, so I might check into their business program. Do school and keep working, plus look after Bella and Audrey." To be honest, going back to school would be for me even more than for my siblings. Too often, Natives like me settled for low-wage jobs and minimal education—and that was true of the ethnicity in general, not just my own tribe. I had to set a good example for my children and for the children my friends and cousins would have, too.

"I want kids, someday," Angela said. "But I agree with Ben. I'm not ready yet for what you have."

"Not many people would be," I agreed. "But I guess I've always been a little different from most people my age, so while this works for me, it wouldn't work for others."

"But you do look so happy, both of you."

"We are happy," Jared pulled me close and angled in for a kiss.

"Did you ever think your life would be like this when you moved up here two years ago?"

"Never," Bella shook her head. "But I wouldn't change a thing. This…this is perfect."

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AN: Several people had asked about the phone call between Bella and the Cullens after Audrey was born. I thought about including it a few chapters ago (when it would have happened) but it didn't seem to fit there. I thought about leaving it to your imaginations, but then realized the characters had things to say to me, so here it is.

Okay, we are almost to the end. I think one more regular chapter, and possibly an epilogue. I've put up a new poll on my profile page—the last poll for this story. I'm debating on whether or not to do an epilogue for this story—one that would jump things ahead by quite a while. Check out the poll and let me know your preference; I can go either way on it. I've got part of one written, but I don't have to use it.


	78. Life Moves On

AN: Thanks once again to my readers and reviewers. Not as many for the last chapter, but quality definitely makes up for quantity.

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Bella POV

Jared had hit the mark for our first Valentine's Day together. Of course, I loved all of the more dramatic things we'd done together since we'd met, but a simple dinner and movie was just as special to me. Unfortunately, the end of the weekend meant the end of Jared's time at home with me. His parents had been amazing to let him stay home for almost three weeks after Audrey came—and I'd been so grateful for his help—but they really did need him back helping them at the store.

Early Monday morning, Audrey's hungry-cry woke us up. "I'll get this one," I whispered to Jared when he started to get up.

"I can do it," he replied.

"I know, but you're going back to work today. Sleep while you can—I'll nap later while she does if I need to." I leaned over to give him a light kiss before sliding out of bed, grabbing my robe, and heading to the nursery. I rocked my daughter as she nursed, musing how lucky I was and how much had changed—for the better—in my life.

Motherly duty done, I gratefully returned to my bed. Jared's even breathing told me he had gone back to sleep, but even so he gravitated closer to me just as I scooted closer to him. "Love you," he mumbled as his arm draped over me. Wrapped in the embrace of my wolf, I fell back to sleep.

"Jared, you have to go now." He didn't seem to hear me; standing in our living room holding Audrey up against his chest, he alternated between whispering softly to her and dusting kisses all over her head. Moving closer, I laid a hand on each of their backs. "Jared, dear Jared," I murmured, "your parents are expecting you down in the store."

"Changed my mind. 'm happy right here."

My arms shifted into a hug for both my husband and my daughter. "I know, but duty calls. We'll be here all day, so maybe you can come see us on your breaks."

"Okay…" A few more kisses, and he relinquished Audrey into my arms. Then, angling his body so he didn't squash her, Jared pulled me as close as he could and kissed me deeply. "I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you, too, but we'll all be fine. Now, scoot. Sooner you leave, sooner you'll be done for the day."

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After a couple of days home alone, I started going a little stir-crazy. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures, I just had to get out for a little while. I considered my options, decided on a plan and called to confirm it, then got both of us ready to go. Before heading to the car, I detoured inside the store, both to let Jared know my plans and give everyone their baby fix.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. We're just going to head over to visit with Emily for a little while. There's a plate of food made up in the fridge—just needs a couple minutes in the microwave."

"Thanks. But you didn't have to do that—I could have managed something."

"I know. I wanted to."

"Are you coming back for her nap, or do you know yet?"

"I'm not sure. I'll see how it goes and what Emily wants."

"Let me run and grab the pack-n-play for you. That way you can stay there if you want to."

Jared vanished to get the baby equipment, and I gave Audrey a tour of the store's office.

"Is time supposed to fly this fast?" I asked my mother-in-law.

"Faster every day," she commiserated. "I look at Jared with his baby girl and I ask myself, 'When did he get old enough to be someone's daddy? It was only yesterday that he was _my_ baby."

"It does seem that way. And yet sometimes it seems like no time at all. I can't believe our baby is already almost a month old, anymore than I can wrap my mind around the fact that a year ago I didn't even know Jared existed."

"You know, I'm glad he met you. Jared just—seemed to be growing up too fast," Laura said seriously. "It was like he had this weight to carry…but you brought such a light to him right from the start."

"He did the same for me," I confessed. "Before I met him, I was coming back from a pretty bad place, and he really helped me to put the past behind me."

"Pack-n-play is in the car," Jared reported. "I put the diaper bag in there, too."

"Guess we're all set, then. If we end up staying at Emily's into the afternoon, I'll call you when we're heading home, alright?"

"Sure. I'll see you after work." He walked us out to the car and locked the carrier into the seat base while I took care of my own seatbelt. "Have fun."

At the familiar cabin, I grabbed only Audrey's carrier for my first trip in—I'd come back for the bag and playpen later. Giving a quick heads-up knock, I walked right in. I was immediately greeted with the sound of retching. I knew Audrey would be fine for a few minutes, so I hurried to find Emily. As expected, she was in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet. Just as Jared had done for me, I got a washcloth, dampened it in the sink, and pulled her hair aside to lay the cloth on her neck.

"Bad, huh?" I murmured.

Emily managed to hit the handle to flush before sagging back against me. "Yeah. Whoever said this was supposed to ease up in the fourth month didn't consult me."

"I'm sorry. I remember that three months of it wasn't any fun for me. Have you talked to Sue?"

"Yeah. I try the crackers, the teas, all the little tricks, but…" She sat up and squared her shoulders. "We're not going to spend your visit in my bathroom." Emily accepted help getting to her feet, and in getting to the living room couch.

"Maybe this will help," I uncovered and unbuckled Audrey, then gave her to Emily to hold. "I'll be right back. I left a few things in the car." Moving quickly, I got what I needed and was back inside. The pack-n-play unfolded easily, but seeing that Emily was enjoying the baby moment, I instead went to the kitchen. Within minutes I had some soup heating on the stove and some crackers and Sprite for Emily's stomach.

"You're right," Emily told me. "I know it'll be worth it in the end. I've just got to be strong and get through the now."

"You're a strong person. You can handle it. How about Sam?"

She grimaced. "He has a hard time with it sometimes. Almost like after I got hurt."

"Well, it might _technically_ be his fault, since you _are _carrying his baby," we shared a smile, "but like Sue said: pregnancy affects each woman in a different way. And even each pregnancy for the same woman can be different."

"You're not thinking of another, are you?" Emily's eyes went wide.

"No! Not for a few years. But we both want more, and not too far apart. Maybe when she's out of diapers."

"It might be Leah and Daniel's turn by then."

"Might be," I agreed. "And then a few years after that…"

"Yeah. It'll be a madhouse when we've all got kids of our own running around." The smile Emily gave said that she couldn't wait.

Her words made something click for me. "Maybe that's another reason it happened: Seth's imprint on Audrey. They'll be able to have that experience with Quil and Claire."

After consideration, Emily nodded. "We'll be the first, they'll be the last, and everyone else—Paul and Rachel, Embry and Kim, Jake and Savannah—will be in between."

"Quite the madhouse," I concurred, "but worth it. Do you feel up to a little soup now?"

"I can try."

I fixed a tray for Emily, and took Audrey back so my friend could eat. Then, naturally, my daughter decided it should be her lunchtime, too.

"Thanks," Emily told me when she was done.

"No problem. You helped me out a lot, so now it's my turn to help you." Since Audrey was done and burped, she went into the pack-n-play for her nap, and it was time for my lunch. Emily turned the TV on low to one of those home decorating shows that frequented daytime programming. Before the first show was over, she was sound asleep. Knowing she needed the rest, I took their home phone off the hook and set both our cell phones to vibrate. Without my awareness, I drifted off to sleep as well.

"This is a nice surprise," Sam's deep voice near my ear woke me up.

"Sorry, I guess I fell asleep, too. What time is it?" I sat bolt upright, remembering I hadn't planned to stay here forever today.

"It's only mid-afternoon. I got off early today. Did Em get sick again?"

I nodded. "Right when we got here. But she ate some soup and crackers and she's been okay since then. She fell asleep a little before I did."

"Thanks for being here."

"Anytime. I should probably get going now that you're back."

"Don't let me run you off," Sam started to say.

"You need time, just you and Emily. We'll get together, the four of us, sometime soon, okay?"

"Great."

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Jared POV

Just like for Bella's prenatal appointments, my parents worked with us so I'd be free for Audrey's first well-baby checkup when she was a month old.

"Relax, Jared," Bella told me. "It's just a routine checkup to make sure things are going well. The doctor is highly recommended, and we've got our checklist." She laughed. "You weren't this bad when it was me, you know."

"I warned you—and everyone—that I was going to be a protective dad."

Bella patted my arm. "It's a good thing, then, that she isn't due for any shots until next month. You are _not_ allowed to growl at the doctor."

"Audrey Mahan?" the doctor called out. We stood up.

"Welcome, I'm Dr. Jones."

"Hi. I'm Bella and this is my husband Jared. This is our daughter Audrey."

"One month old, correct?"

"That's right. She was born January 23rd."

"So, how do you think things are going so far?"

"Fine, I'd say. She eats nice and regular, every two or three hours—definitely inherited her daddy's appetite. She's awake a little more during the day, which our visitors like, and she sleeps a solid three hours at night, and sometimes a little more."

"What about her diapers?" The doctor started asking questions while taking Audrey's measurements; everything was right on track for a healthy four-week-old baby. "Do you have any questions?" she asked at the end.

"I just started back to work last week, and she seems to be fussier in the evenings than she was before. Is she missing me?" I wanted to know.

"Babies do start recognizing familiar faces and voices, so she will likely calm down when she hears you," Dr. Jones began, "but it's not really about missing you, exactly. Most of it is that she is spending more time awake now, and that means she'll get a little tired and fussy in the evenings. Just give her some time with you and have a nighttime routine to soothe her. A lot of parents do the baby's bath in the evening as a relaxing time together."

"Okay." I admit it was a little disappointing that Audrey wasn't truly missing me a lot—then again, I was dashing upstairs during each of my breaks, and for lunch, so she was still getting to see me during the day.

"What do we need to be watching for over the next month?" Bella asked.

"You'll notice her sleeping longer at night, and her daytime naps will become more concentrated. Keep giving her tummy time and encourage her to hold her head up—give her things to look at that will draw her eyes up. She may even start trying to put some weight on her arms when she's on her stomach. You can also expect smiles and cooing."

"Sounds like lots of fun."

"We can get her next appointment scheduled out at the desk. She will be due for her first round of vaccinations that time."

"Can't wait," Bella grimaced a little.

"It's probably going to be worse for you than it will be for her," Dr. Jones sympathized. "But the shots are very necessary for her health. The potential complications from any one of those illnesses are much, much worse than a temporary pinch from a needle."

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"How's my girl?" Charlie asked when we arrived for dinner that night.

"She's good," I told him, setting the carrier on the couch and removing the blanket covering the aforementioned baby.

"Charlie, where in the world did you put the serving spoons?" Sue asked, poking her head out of the kitchen.

"Um…" he trailed off.

"It's okay, Charlie," I told him. "Go find the spoons. I promise you'll get plenty of time with her tonight."

Charlie disappeared to help Sue, and Seth bolted from the kitchen with every evidence of relief. "Bella, is your dad always like that in the kitchen?"

Bella laughed. "Yep. He does okay with the basics—he didn't starve before I got here—but something fancy…I'm guessing that's why you and your mom are here."

"Might be part of it," he admitted. "But he's still looking out for us, too." Seth's mouth twisted and his eyes darkened. With a jolt, I remembered that it was still not even a year since we'd lost Harry, and for months of that time, we'd all of us been focused on the threat against us; mourning for Harry had of necessity been pushed back until later, and later was now.

"Does it bother you?" Bella asked quietly, while I unbuckled Audrey and lifted her out of her carrier.

"No. I know he's helped mom, and I've liked hearing the stories he tells about him and my dad, but—"

"You miss your dad," she finished. "That's fine—and normal. With all that's gone on, maybe we've all forgotten that it hasn't been that long. I know Charlie just wants to help."

"It does."

"Hey, family dinner here," I cut in to lighten the mood. "Want your turn now, before Grandpa Charlie claims her?" I offered Audrey to Seth, who accepted her with thanks in his eyes.

Doing his part, Seth asked, "So how did it go today? Mom said you were taking Audrey for a doctor visit?"

"Everything's fine," Bella assured him. "Just her one-month checkup."

Seth snagged the remote with his free hand and settled onto the couch to watch a basketball game. Within minutes he was explaining the game to Audrey. Jared and I both smothered grins with our hands and headed for the kitchen to greet Charlie and Sue properly.

"Dinner's almost ready," Sue informed us. "How did it go today?"

"The doc seems really nice and knows her stuff," I answered. "Everything's good."

"How's it going being back at work?" Charlie asked me.

"Strange," I admitted. "I think I got spoiled spending those first three weeks at home."

"But I bet you run up to check on her every chance you get," guessed Sue.

"Guilty," was my admission, although I didn't feel guilty about it at all.

"Where is she?" Charlie looked around, confused at why Audrey wasn't being held by one of us.

"Seth is teaching her all about basketball," Bella dryly told her father.

"Good kid," he approved.

"Well, she already got indoctrinated into football, thanks to the Super Bowl a couple weeks ago, so I probably shouldn't be surprised about another sport." Bella sighed with the indulgent air most women seemed to have when it came to men and athletics.

"C'mon, Bells, that was a good game," Charlie quipped.

"Sure. Thanks for hosting that, by the way."

(flashback)

My father-in-law offered to have a Super Bowl party for us and our friends at his house, just like we'd done for the NCAA finals last spring. After getting confirmation that everyone was healthy, we agreed. Everyone who was around invaded Charlie's that Sunday afternoon. It was weird not having Leah and Daniel around anymore, but she'd called us once from Makah and we knew she was enjoying the new locale.

The guys really got into the game. Most of us were rooting for the Packers by default. We'd have rooted for the Seattle Seahawks if given a choice, but the Bears had beaten them to end their season, and then gotten beat themselves by the Packers. The girls spent most of the first half of the game fussing over Audrey, taking turns holding her.

The guys insisted on turns of their own in the second half. I watched each of them like a hawk—no, like a wolf—to make sure they didn't forget they were holding her if the Packers did anything celebration-worthy. Despite that, it was pretty interesting to watch my friends holding my daughter and passing her from one person to the next like a fragile gift.

"Hey, Sam?" I said.

"Yeah?" he looked up from making funny faces at Audrey.

"Just think, next year we'll be doing this with _your_ kid."

(end flashback)

"No problem. It's actually been fun having your friends over for sports and stuff this last year," Charlie told us.

"Okay, that's everything," Sue announced. "Seth, time to eat."

When he appeared, Seth asked, "Bella, I'm not sure what to do with her."

"She'd be okay sitting in her carrier while we eat, wouldn't she?" I suggested to my wife.

"I think so. I can feed her when we're done—I think she'll be hungry by then."

Seth handed Audrey over and left to grab the baby carrier. By the time I got her settled, Bella had filled her plate and was heading for the table. I set the carrier on the seat next to her before going after my own plate of food. After we ate, we caught the rest of the basketball game. Bella curled up on the couch, nursing our daughter under the cover of a blanket. It was with regret that Charlie saw us leave later in the evening.

"Bye, sweet thing," he ticked Audrey under her chin. "See you soon."

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Bella POV

Saturday was one of our regular days to Skype with mom and Phil.

"Oh, sweetie, she's getting so big!" Mom cooed when I held Audrey up for her to see.

"Cute as ever," Phil announced.

"Healthy, too," I reported. "Clean bill of health from the doctor this week."

"Of course she does," mom told me. "She's being well looked after."

"Thanks."

"Bella's a great mom," Jared proclaimed, pulling me in for a hug and a kiss to my temple.

"So how's everything going?" Phil asked.

We shared our recent activities: our Valentine's Day excursion and all the details of this week's appointment that any grandparent could ask for.

"Just let us know when you're ready for a trip a little further from home," said Phil. "We'd love to have you come visit us here again. Your mom's got lots of friends she can't wait to show her granddaughter off to."

"We'll let you know," I said. "It's a wonderful offer, and we'll love to take advantage of it. But right now, Audrey's just too young to travel cross-country like that. Once she's a little older and has gotten her shots would be a lot better for my peace of mind."

"Sure thing. Just give the word anytime. Depending on when you come, I could probably swing tickets to one of my games again."

I groaned good-naturedly, and Jared had a lot of fun sharing Audrey's sports experience so far.

"It's only fair," he reasoned. "She'll get football and basketball from Grandpa Charlie, so it's only right that Grandpa Phil gets baseball."

"Don't worry, Bella. Between me, you, Laura, and Savannah, I'm sure we can make sure Audrey gets her full girlie quotient."

"Thanks, mom. I wasn't too girlie myself, but she should have the chance to choose whether to be girlie or to be a tomboy."

"Another mark of being a good parent: giving your child the freedom and confidence to choose their own path. Audrey is in very capable hands. Just you wait and see."

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AN: I had planned on there being more events in this chapter, but I like how things unfolded even though it wasn't as intended. The rest of what I had planned will come in the next chapter and then an epilogue.


	79. Full Circle

AN: I'd originally planned for at least some of this to be in the last chapter, but I didn't want you to wait too long while I worked this part out, so you got that part then and this part now. I hope this has come out okay—it was a lot harder to write than the last one.

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Bella POV

The first week of March, I bundled myself and Audrey up for a drive to the clinic.

"Hi, Bella. How are you feeling?"

"Good, Sue, really good. Here for my checkup as ordered."

"Okay. We'll just take your vitals and then get started."

After I'd been looked at, Sue told me, "Everything looks good. By all appearances, you're fully recovered from the delivery. So if you're ready, I can give you the all-clear to resume intimacy."

"Is there anything I—we—need to consider about that?"

"You ought to be prepared for things to feel a little different. Your body went through quite an ordeal with giving birth and that does leave some permanent changes. Just take things one step at a time and learn what works for you and what doesn't—just like you did in the beginning." Sue paused before asking, "Bella, have you and Jared talked about birth control?"

"Yes, we talked it over months ago, actually. We love Audrey and we're so happy to have her, but we're not ready to think about more kids yet, or for a few more years. What would be the best option?"

"There are three main types: barriers; hormones, like the pill or the shot; or implants. Implants may be best for couples planning to wait quite a while for the next child—they're designed to last five or ten years. Hormonal treatments may not be the best choice as long as you're still breastfeeding—it can have some impact on the quality of your milk—but could be started as you switch Audrey to mainly formula and foods. Barriers have the advantage of being easy and immediate and a non-impact to the baby."

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Jared POV

Bella stopped in the store after her check-up with Sue.

"Everything okay?" I asked after giving both my girls a kiss.

"Perfect." I would have said more, but a crash on another aisle indicated some kind of catastrophe. When I offered Bella an apologetic shrug, she just smiled.

"Just another day in the saga of running a store, right?"

"Yeah. I'll see you right after work, okay?"

"You better. Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember all those things you weren't supposed to be thinking about?"

"Huh?"

"You can start thinking about them again." And on that note, she was gone.

I was completely on autopilot while cleaning up the mess a little kid had made while their mom's back was turned. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "He gets into everything if I take my eyes off him for a second."

"That's okay. It happens. I guess I'll get to find that out myself after a while—my wife and I just had our first six weeks ago: a girl."

"Congratulations."

When I took a few minutes to myself, I thought back on Bella's parting words: "You can start thinking about them again." What, exactly had she meant? _Come on, Jared, you're not usually slow on the uptake,_ I scolded myself. She's obviously thought that sentence said enough. What had I _not_ been thinking about lately? The answer hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks when I remembered what I'd just told that customer: Audrey was six weeks old now. Six weeks meant…sex. My wife had just told me she'd gotten the medical all-clear for us to—oh, boy.

How I got through the rest of the day was a mystery to me. Not thinking about sex had been a necessity for me, with the last few days of Bella's pregnancy and the weeks of recovery; following through on those kinds of thoughts had been impossible. Now, though…the paralysis I'd felt when trying to plan for Valentine's Day was nothing compared to this. Because, honestly, I never _had_ deliberately planned out sex with Bella—it had just _happened._ But tonight demanded some kind of plan, and now of all times my mind was completely and utterly blank. By the time I left work, I still hadn't thought of anything. My distraction was probably why it took me a few seconds to notice my mom starting down the apartment stairs holding Audrey's carrier. "Mom?"

"I'm stealing my granddaughter for the evening—and all night if you want." My mouth fell open and I literally felt my face flaming to the point of ignition. I hadn't felt this embarrassed since my parents had sat me down for "the talk" when I was an adolescent or since they'd realized that Bella and I had taken that step in our relationship and produced the granddaughter she was holding. "You make her feel like a queen," mom said as she passed the spot where I was rooted in place on her way to her car. My mom had just told me—let me know—she knew—my mind sputtered like a car running on fumes.

Somehow, I managed to get my legs moving and climb the stairs.

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Bella POV

After letting Laura in, I'd been shooed to my bedroom. "I'll grab everything she'll need. Jared won't be too much longer."

I was nervous about this, about being with Jared, in a way I never had been before. I knew I still carried some of the baby weight and pregnancy pudge, that I wasn't as slim and fit as I'd been back at the beginning. My stare into the bathroom mirror was halted by a self-administered mental smack. _Don't do this, Bella. Jared loves you; he said nothing will ever change that—not age or how you look or anything. Trust him._ I did trust him; he'd never ever let me down or disappointed me. And I could—would—do not less for him. I closed my eyes and let my mind drift back to Jared and how he made me feel. The bundle of nerve in my stomach loosened and disappeared as I remembered our past and the plans I had made for tonight. "This is about us," I whispered. Almost-crisis-of-confidence averted, I picked up a recent online purchase: a new piece of lingerie. _Okay, now commencing Operation Seduce Husband. _I slid it on and decided I looked…sexy. I'd occasionally wished for more abundant natural curves in the past; now my post-pregnancy body seemed to have plenty.

I heard the door open and shut, and then Jared calling, "Bella?"

"I'll be right there," I called, "Stay where you are." Giving one last quick perusal of the bedroom arrangements, I hurried over to the bedroom door and into the hallway, stopping just at the entrance to the living room.

"Washilli t'iklowa," he swore softly. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, not yet. Are you hungry? I made your favorites." He completely had the deer-in-the-headlights look. Goal #1: Stun Husband could get a big checkmark.

"Oh, yeah…I'm hungry." Jared started to pace my way.

"Dinner first," I insisted.

"You expect me to be able to eat with you—and that—?" he stuttered.

"Think of it as eating your vegetables before you get dessert," I suggested.

"And if I want dessert first?" Jared's eyes were dark and hot with promise.

"Good things come to those who wait," I managed. "Dinner first."

There weren't many words while we ate, but they weren't really necessary, either. Our gazes spoke volumes. Given how little I was wearing, I ought to have been a bit cool, but the way Jared's eyes kept sweeping over me took care of that nicely. Music played softly in the background, a mix of romantic songs. We had only just finished eating when Muse's "I Belong to You" started wafting from the stereo speakers. Without a word, Jared pulled me into his arms and started dancing with me. I couldn't attempt to describe how he somehow moved me from the kitchen to the living room to the hallway.

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Jared POV

"Treat her like a queen, treat her like a queen," was my mental chant. I didn't see how I had a chance in hell of actually _doing_ it, however much I knew I should. After nearly two months of going without, my body wanted nothing more than to pounce like the horny teenager I was. But that wouldn't be fair to either of us and to Bella least of all. Somehow I'd have to rediscover all of that control and restraint from last spring. Somehow.

"Jared?" Bella whispered, with just the faintest hint of uncertainty in her voice. I remembered then that _he_ had always treated her extra-careful when anything physical had been involved and that she'd interpreted that as a lack of desire. I'd never done that before and couldn't think of starting now.

In a decidedly rough voice, I told her, "I plan on taking my time with you tonight and you are making that damned hard to do, Mrs. Mahan."

"Am I?" She didn't seem bothered by my statement.

Rather than use words, I pressed her up against the wall and let her find the answer that way. Each step across the bedroom to our bed was a contest: me trying to keep some measure of control and Bella doing her level best to make me lose it.

"On the bed," she told me when I'd backed her up against it.

"Wha—"

"I have plans," Bella purred. _Spirits_, I thought as her voice sizzled straight through me. Then, I couldn't think at all. In no time flat she had me utterly mindless; I didn't know how and didn't care.

"You know what they say about payback?" I growled after I relearned how to speak.

"No, what?"

"Why don't I demonstrate?" To me, turn around was fair play. I was bound and determined to worship every inch of my wife's body. The first touch of my fingers ignited a burn in both of us that each stroke only intensified. Each muscle twinge or momentary discomfort that I sensed was soothed with lavish attention until they faded beyond recall, until I'd made her as obvious as she'd made me.

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I was rudely dragged from my dreams by the annoying ring of the phone. "'lo," I mumbled.

"Someone misses her mommy and daddy," my dad said. "Just thought we'd let you know we're heading over to return her."

My eyes shot open to find the time on the clock. "Thanks for taking her. We'll be ready when you get here." _Somehow_, I added mentally.

"Bella, time to wake up." Even though I knew better, I dropped back on the bed and spooned up against her. "My parents are bringing Audrey home." Her only response was an inarticulate noise and a wiggle against me. "_Bella_," I groaned. "My parents…our daughter." Pulling willpower from somewhere, I let her go and dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I managed to shower and dress before my parents knocked on the apartment door.

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Bella POV

A squirm against me and a gurgle in my ear brought me out of a very pleasant dream. Opening my eyes, I could see I'd been joined in bed by my daughter. "Hi, sweetie. Did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa?"

"They said she did," Jared answered, easing down so that Audrey lay between us. I stretched, managing to stifle a groan into a sigh; he still caught it, though. "Are you okay? Was I-?"

"You—and last night—were perfect. I'm just a little sore—which Sue did say was normal."

"You should take a bath…" Jared trailed off. What to do with Audrey while I did was the question, however.

"We have that bouncy seat for her. I can strap her in and sit her right beside the tub. She'll be fine for a little while in there."

"I guess that would be best. I thought about offering to take her down to the store, but with it being spring cold season…"

"No sense taking chances. We'll be fine."

Jared retrieved the seat for me and started the water running while I served Audrey a little breakfast. Buckling her into the seat—maybe a bit unnecessary since she wasn't moving on her own yet, but safety first—I sank down into the water with a moan of pleasure. That, naturally, brought back thoughts of how I'd gotten this sore in the first place. I didn't regret anything; in fact, looked forward to repeating this in the near future. Granted, we'd have to figure out arrangements without relying on Jared's parents—or mine—but necessity was, after all, the mother of invention.

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Jared POV

The day of Audrey's two-month appointment, we were both nervous wrecks. There was a whole alphabet soup of vaccinations that she was going to be getting from Dr. Jones.

"Come on back," the nurse told us. Once we were in the exam room, she started with the standard measurements.

"Hello, there. How are we all doing this month?" Dr. Jones asked.

"I think everything is fine. She's eating great. I've started to notice she's going a little longer between feedings now."

"That's normal for this stage. Her weight looks spot-on, so she's clearly getting enough nourishment. What are her movements and responses like?"

"She's holding her head up some when we do that tummy time you mentioned," I said. "She definitely responds when she hears my voice and is even starting to say hi to me when I get home."

"That's always a good feeling, isn't it?" the doctor smiled. "That cooing is her first step toward language development. Well, everything looks good, so all that's left today is her shots. We've got the DTaP, Hib, iPV, PVC, and Rotavirus this time." She went over what each was meant and what it would help with. "Now, did either of you want to hold her, or would you like my nurse to do that?"

"I will," I insisted.

"Then hold her on your lap, with her right side against your chest. Bring your arm around her side and hold your hand against her stomach. Use your other hand to hold her arm so she doesn't flail around. We'll do this as quickly as we can. Mom, you might want to hold a toy in front of her to keep her attention if you can."

If I was thinking clearly—which I wasn't—I would have known that Audrey's cries when she got her shots were just reflex responses. But I wasn't thinking clearly. For the first time in a while, my wolf rose up and I had to fight the instinct to phase to protect my daughter. Somehow, though, I didn't. Maybe it was my wife's presence beside me. Maybe it was the doctor and nurse in the room with us—who definitely didn't know that werewolves and vampires and things that went bump-in-the-night were real. But most of all and most likely was the fact that I held my daughter in my arms just now. I couldn't help the low growl that rumbled in my chest, though.

"He's definitely a new daddy," Bella offered to the doctor, as she stroked my arm to soothe the tremors. "I guess he's a little protective." I could hear her distracting cover talk through the haze I was in, but was in no shape to help her with it.

"We've seen that before," the nurse laughed. "Days like this are always harder on the parents than they are on the babies."

"All done," Dr. Jones told us. "We'll see you next month for her regular checkup and the month after that for the next round of shots."

"Great," I grumbled. I knew the shots were necessary, but I sure didn't like them, not one bit.

"I know," she told me. "It's good medical practice anyway, but I have to have another doctor take care of my kids like that—I couldn't bear the idea of giving them these shots myself. Here, have this for being a brave dad." The doctor handed me a plastic-wrapped sucker.

"Thanks." When we were in the car, I turned to Bella. "Sorry about that. I didn't think it would hit me like that."

"Neither did I. Probably ought to warn Sam and Emily about it, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah." I abruptly remembered how Bella had reacted during her own appointments, and gave her a deeper look. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Surprisingly, I am. Maybe focusing on distracting her helped me to not think about the needles. I won't argue with it, whatever it was."

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Seth POV

I think that I—that all of us, really—was having trouble getting used to being in school all the time. Not that we'd enjoyed the reason for us being able to skip out sometimes and not get in trouble for it, but it was definitely an adjustment to going back to being treated just like any other kids. But then again, we didn't have to chase after vampires anymore…and we could get a full night's sleep every night; very helpful for staying awake in class. Well, it was helpful except when my teacher was trying to drum some kind of algebra concept into my head. I shook my head and tried to focus my mind on the lesson—another thing about the danger being over was that the elders and our families were determined that we'd concentrate just as hard on school now as we had on killing vampires.

"Ow!" My exclamation—and the kick of my leg against the chair in front of me—was unexpected and involuntary.

"Mr. Clearwater, what is going on?" The teacher, Mr. Cameron, turned around from the blackboard to look at me.

"Sorry, sir. Leg cramp. I'll be okay and it won't happen again."

He kept looking at me for a few seconds, and I tried to look innocent and sincere; it wasn't too hard since I really hadn't meant it to happen and didn't know why it had. I guess he decided to believe me, or at least act like he did, and turned his attention back to explaining the problem he'd written out. He'd no sooner done that than my leg started throbbing again like I was a voodoo doll and was having pins stuck in me. Each new jolt made it harder and harder to not react again; I fought against it by locking my muscles tight and fisting my hands under my desk so hard that my nails broke the skin of my palms. The pain faded some right when the bell rang. I definitely didn't show any wolf-grace as I staggered to my feet and to the door.

Right outside the classroom, Jake was waiting for me. "Let's take a walk." He led me outside and into the trees behind the school. "Come on, we'll run this off." He vanished behind a tree, and a minute later I felt him phase. Well, the Alpha has spoken…

_You okay?_

_I don't know. _

_Do you know what happened?_

_It just felt like my leg was getting skewered. _I went back over it so he'd know.

_Huh_, Jake mused_. Could you have felt that?_

_Felt what?_

_Bells said Audrey was due for some shots today. She gets shots and you feel like you've gotten poked. Maybe there's a connection._

I stopped in my tracks. _I—they—she—huh?_

_I'm not saying there is one,_ Jake went on. _ Just wondering. I can try to give my dad a call before my next class—see if he knows anything._

_I sure hope so. I mean, if it does work like that, am I going to go through this every time she goes in for that? What happens if I can't hold it together?_

_Wish I had answers for you, bro. Really. We'll figure something out. I dunno, maybe I can Alpha-order you not to phase in school like that._

I snorted, physically and mentally.

_Hey, this Alpha stuff isn't as easy as Sam made it look._

_You're doing pretty good,_ I told him, as we turned back toward the school and our clothes.

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Bella POV

Everyone in the pack met over at Sam and Emily's for dinner. "I honestly miss having everyone around," she confessed.

"I know what you mean. It's a little different not being together all the time," I replied. "I think some of it is people getting caught back up in old hobbies and stuff now that they have the time for them. But some of it is them wanting to give you and Sam space just like they did with Jared and me. You're still newlyweds, and with the baby coming you need time for the two of you while you can get it—take it from me."

Emily laughed. "I suppose. But they've all been part of this with us, and there's a little hole sometimes without them around. But that's why we're doing this tonight, after all; getting together just because we can."

It really was just like old times, except for the fact that there wasn't any planning or strategizing going on, no patrols or reports on patrols. It was just a group of friends getting together for dinner and fun.

"Hey, Bella?" I looked up from the plate of food I was eating.

"Yes, Seth?"

"You think maybe you guys could give me a heads-up the next time you take her in to get poked? I about went nuts today."

"Oh, Seth, I'm sorry. I didn't think about—"

"I didn't wolf-out or anything, but it sure wasn't fun, you know? For me or for her."

"Or Jared, either," I laughed.

"Very funny," he growled.

"Yeah, it was." I was unrepentant about finding it funny—since nothing had happened. "But, seriously, Seth, I'm sorry it affected you—I didn't know it would—but we can definitely let you know. There will be more at four and six months old, but then there's a break until she's a year old."

"Thanks."

"Find a spot everyone," Sam's voice cut through the chatter. By the time all of us were sitting down again, he'd moved to stand beside Emily's chair and was holding her hand. "We've all shared a lot over the last few years—good and bad. Now things are starting to change for all of us. Jared and Bella are married and parents, Emily and I are married and about to be parents. Jake, Paul, and Embry are about to graduate…everything is changing."

"Hey, Sam." For once Paul let his serious side show. "Just because we leave for a while doesn't mean we won't be back. This is home, and always will be."

"We'll be back," Rachel agreed. "For the last few years, the tribe needed all of you to stay here, to protect everyone. Now, I think the tribe needs at least some of you to leave. There are so many opportunities out there for education that can be taken advantage of. Then those who go can come back and share those benefits with everyone."

"You're right," Sam agreed. "Besides, those of us with kids are counting on the rest of you to spoil them rotten—with the understanding that we'll be returning the favor in spades down the road."

"You mind taking a rain check on that one, bro?" Embry asked. "I think Kim and I would like a few years of just us first."

"Just for a little while," Emily answered for her husband. "Then you'll be old enough to start pestering Uncle Embry to give you a little cousin," she stroked and addressed her noticeable baby bump.

Embry's eyes widened as he looked at his sister-in-law. "Are you planning to put in a gender request while you're at it?"

"Well," Sam looked down at Emily while talking to Embry, "now that you mention it…"

"You know what it is?" I barely held back a squeal. I knew that they'd been talking about whether or not they'd find out their baby's gender, but not that they'd decided to do it.

"We know," Emily confirmed.

"And?"

"We're thinking about Levi Michael," Sam told us. "For my great-grandfather and for Emily's dad."

I got to Emily the fastest, hugging her tight. The other girls were right behind me to surround us. From the noise, I guessed that Sam was getting the same treatment.

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Jared POV

When the girls swarmed around Emily, the guys did the same for Sam.

"Congrats, man," I told him. "You psyched about it being a boy?"

"I'd've been happy with either, but, yeah, I am. Chance to do better than Josh and all. Plus, girls seem like a lot of trouble," he said, half-teasing and half-not.

"I don't know," I retorted, although I did know what he meant. We still had two wolves that hadn't imprinted yet. "Boys can be trouble, too, you realize. But he and Audrey can still be friends and play together, just like Bella and Jake did, and you can just give my daughter her girl friend the next time."

My friend got a devilish look in his eyes. "Well, if that's how it's going to be, then we expect a playmate for Levi from you two before too long."

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"What was it like for you that day?" Bella asked me.

"Which day?" I tried to think what she might be wondering about. We'd had lots of days in the last—year.

"That day in the meadow, when you and the others saved me from Laurent."

It had been a long time since that day had been brought up, and even then it had just been Bella's account we'd gone over. We hadn't thought to share our side of it, and she hadn't asked then or later. Until now, that is. I ran my hands through my hair, which was a bit longer now than it had been then, and tried to put my thoughts in order. "Well—"

"Wait."

"What?"

"Would you take me there? I think that's where we should talk about this."

"Okay…" It didn't take long to arrange for Sam and Emily to get some more baby practice by watching Audrey for us. Then it was the drive north of town toward that meadow where my life had begun to change.

"Ugh, I forgot about the hike," Bella groaned. "Any chance of a lift?"

"You mean as a—?" I thought about it for a second. We'd all keep aging as long as we stopped phasing _consistently_. The occasional shift wouldn't stop that—the tribal texts confirmed it. It would certainly be easier on Bella if we did it this way, and it did seem to be appropriate and symbolic to do it like this.

"Give me a minute, okay? I might be a little rusty."

"I've heard it's like riding a bicycle—you never really forget." It's a good thing I'm young, or that double entendre would have sent me into heart failure. But she was right, as usual. It took just a fraction longer than it had before, but I went wolf again. I carefully picked up my clothes in my mouth and carried them back to Bella, who put them in her backpack. Then I knelt down so she could climb on my back. A quick run through the woods, and we reached the edge of the trees. Bella slid off my back and removed her backpack. By the time I'd phased back and pulled my clothes on, she'd walked a little way into the clearing.

"What was it like for you that day?" she asked again.

"It started out pretty normal, patrolling around the area; Sam, Paul and I were out deep, Jake and Embry close to the rez. But then we caught that leech scent, and they caught yours when they were running to us…"

(flashback)

_They're back! _I snarled, catching the scent—the scents—we'd become all too familiar with lately.

_Both of them? _Sam asked, wanting the confirmation.

_Yes. _I was irritated—like I wouldn't recognize what I smelled.

_Jake, Embry, come on, _Sam ordered._ We'll pincer in and hopefully pin them down this time._

_Damn right we will, _our newest brother retorted.

_On it, _Embry confirmed. We could sense both of them putting on speed, racing away from the reservation to meet up with us.

_Why is she back? _I wondered, as I moved to follow a shift in her path._ What does she want? _The question we'd been asking ourselves for months now with no answer.

_Blood and death," _Paul snarled.

_But why here? Why not go somewhere easier? Somewhere we __**aren't**__?_

_No clue, and unimportant right now, _Sam replied. The three of us were swinging south from the Sol Doc River, and Jake and Embry had crossed the Calawah River coming north before Embry pulled up short.

_Jake, is this-?_

_Bella! _Jake screamed in our minds. _Sam, Bella's out here!_

_What? Why? _Our Alpha went hyper-focused.

From Jake came a garble of thoughts about the Swan girl wanting to find some meadow she'd been to before, probably with that leech boyfriend of hers. Jake had helped her look for it, but they'd come up empty, and then Jake had been ordered to stay away from her. Had she decided to go looking again on her own? Jake thought so. _She's out here alone, looking, and she's in danger. I ought to be with her. _His angry thoughts got as close as he could to blaming Sam for that.

_Where are you? _Sam demanded. A thought from Jacob, and we shifted course again for a direct intercept. We had to be getting close to some kind of clearing, because more light started coming through the trees. The breeze blowing the scent of a bloodsucker into our faces made us want to gag, but we suppressed it to keep our element of surprise. The breeze also brought the sound of voices: a French-sounding guy and a girl's voice that both Jake's and Embry's minds confirmed as Bella Swan's.

"I went to the Cullen's' place. I was surprised to find them gone. Weren't you something of a pet of theirs?" The guy asked her.

"Something like that," she admitted.

"Do they visit often?"

"Yes, all the time. I'll be sure to let them know you stopped by, but I probably shouldn't mention it to Edward—he's very protective of me."

"I don't think so," he disagreed, and we heard the whoosh of him moving. "After all, how important could you be to him if he left you here alone and unprotected?"

"Please, don't do this," she begged, fear lacing her voice now. "Edward will come after you."

"Shhh, he whispered, now standing next to her. "It will be better this way. I will kill you quickly, but Victoria would kill you slowly and painfully."

_What the hell? _Jake's mental voice yelled. _No, you won't you bloodsucking leech. Sam, how much longer are we going to stand here?_

"Victoria?" Bella gasped. _Is that the female?_ I wondered.

"I actually came here as a favor to her. She won't be happy about me killing you."

"Why?"

"She wants revenge you see. The Cullens killed her mate, so she wants to return the favor."

_That's enough, _Sam decided._ He's said he plans to kill this girl, and the other one will if he doesn't. Move in, but no one do anything until I give the word._

We moved out, with Sam in the Alpha position in the middle. Just behind him, Paul and Jake were on his left flank, with me and Embry on his right side. The leech started backing up in fear as soon as he caught sight of Sam. Maybe he remembered us chasing him away before. Too bad he had decided to come back this time. _You're not getting away this time, _Jake silently threatened.

Bella gasped when she got a good look at us, and it made Jake turn his head to the side to look right at her. _It's okay, Bells. We got this. You're fine now. _

_Focus, Jacob, _Sam warned with a growl. Obedient to the Alpha's order, Jacob set his gaze back on the leech in front of us. The leech abruptly spun and blurred to the other side of the clearing and into the trees. We bolted after him, Jacob delaying long enough for one more look at the girl before sprinting to catch up.

(end of flashback)

"Jake and I caught up to him first, and Sam and Embry and Paul helped tear him apart. Then we burned him." I framed Bella's face with my hands. "That day changed my life," I told her. "I know it wasn't until a few days later that I really and truly met you and imprinted, but that was the day that ultimately sent you down to Jake's place for it to happen."

"Thank you," Bella told me, stretching up on her toes to give me a kiss. "Thank you for saving me that day. Thank you for making this last year the best year of my life. Thank you for loving me, for marrying me, for giving me our daughter. Thank you."

"It's been the best year for me, too," I admitted. "I never would have expected it, but I'm so glad for everything that's happened, and for everything that will happen for the rest of our lives."

"The rest of our lives…" Bella echoed.

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Washilli t'iklowa= I'm going crazy/you're driving me crazy

Well, this is (almost) the end. This is the last true chapter of the story. I am working on an epilogue that will wrap things up. I'll try to get that finished up while I also work toward some school deadlines.


	80. Journey's End

"_We have come to journey's end. White shores are calling, you and I will meet again."_

"_White Shores" by Annie Lennox, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King soundtrack_

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AN: Well, we've finally come to the end (and yippee to me for not fizzling out). From my original plan of a 13-chapter story, we've ended up many times that. As I've said to at least some of my reviewers, this story very quickly became so much more than I ever could have dreamed, and your response to it beyond anything I could have hoped for with my first posted fanfiction story.

So, here's a thank you to everyone who reviewed, whether just for one chapter or for all of them, whether from the beginning, starting midway, or here at the end (and to those of you who waited until the story was completed before starting to read). Thanks for every comment, whether positive or critical, and for every suggestion, whether used or not—final expression of gratitude to mc7575 here (you're amazing). Thanks so much to all of you for coming along with me on this journey. I hope to see you again on some of the other stories I plan to start writing. Again, thanks.

And now, the epilogue to "The Wolf and His Girl":

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Bella POV

"Surprise!" I literally jumped at the roar that erupted when Jared and I rounded the back corner of my in-laws' house. The backyard was literally packed with our family and friends.

"Happy 25th Anniversary," Laura pushed through the crowd to give me a hug. "Congratulations to you both."

"Now," James began, after blaring an air horn to get everyone's attention. "Bella, we know how you feel about parties, surprises, and especially surprise parties-so let me explain why we totally went against what we knew you'd like. Back then, when you and Jared told us about the pregnancy and then the wedding plans, we did everything we could to support you, both physically and spiritually. We knew how much was stacked against it working-your ages, education, unplanned pregnancy, jobs and money...We prayed every single night for both of you, that everything would work out, that you'd beat the odds. Well, you have. Twenty-five years ago, so many of us here watched the two of you exchange vows both civil and tribal, vows that you have kept all this time. We thought it was only right that this milestone be celebrated by the friends and family who have been part of your lives along this journey."

I couldn't even think of being upset with them for putting this together, not after what my father-in-law had just said. Eyes brimming with tears I didn't want to shed, I blindly moved toward him for a hug. It only took a moment before I could feel that Jared and Laura had joined us. "Thank you for everything," I whispered. "And yes, I forgive you for this."

"Time to party." Jared and I were each seized by one of our 20-year-old twin sons and pulled toward the tables that were almost overflowing with food. "Guests of honor first, elders and children second."

"And the bottomless pits at the end," our younger daughter, Darcy, got in the dig against her brothers.

"Hey, we are not—" Thomas started.

"—bottomless pits," Jonathan finished. As had often happened since they'd learned to speak, one twin started the sentence and the other finished it.

"Yes you are," quite a few people disagreed.

It was a chaotic scene reminiscent of any number of pack meetings back in the day. I was touched and happy that so many friends and relatives had been able to make the trip up to see us. Jared's aunt, uncle, and cousins; Angela and Ben and their kids; Daniel, Leah, and theirs; and of course all those friends and family who'd stayed right here with us. I lost the battle with tears when I saw my mom and Phil, who were only about three years ahead of Jared and I.

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Sam stood up and quickly got silence. "Jared, I probably haven't told you as often as I should how much your friendship has meant to me over the years. You've always been there to listen if I needed to talk or needed help."

Jared snorted. "Yeah, like on how not to piss off your wife when she's in the middle of labor, right?" He got a burst of laughter for that-especially because it had been true.

Sam shrugged. "Well, you were the one of us with experience in that-and thanks so much for going first with the fatherhood stuff-it was great for seeing what _not_ to do." More laughter. "But, seriously, I knew I could always count on you to be level-headed and give it straight."

"You're welcome, Sam. And thank _you_ for listening to me when I needed to get something off my chest, for being a friend and mentor. You and Emily were a great example to me, when I was trying to pick myself up after falling for Bella, and I think I can safely speak for Bella here and thank you for helping her out with me." I slid my arm around his waist in silent agreement.

Embry claimed the speaker's role next. "Bella...for quite a while I'd resigned myself to the fact that there were things about myself and my heritage that I would never know, even though I wasn't happy about it. It didn't take you all that long to make me see that it wasn't okay, and that I did have the right to know those things. Don't think I forgot that you were the one who paid out for us to get the tests done and prove Sam was my brother." There was a murmur at that revelation. "Thanks for being such good friends to Kim and me over the years."

"Anytime," I answered.

Leah was next. "Bella, I almost don't know what to say, except for 'thank you'. You just sailed in one day and let me know you wanted to be friends, but weren't about to put up with my martyred attitude. You gave me just the kick I needed to put the past behind me and open my eyes up to the possibilities of the future."

"I just wanted to let you know, girl to girl, that you weren't alone. You just needed someone to talk to who'd been through what you had."

Seth stood up. He seemed...I wasn't sure how to put it. He licked his lips, swallowed. "Jared, I think I've always looked up to you. To all the guys, but you more than others. You showed me how to take the difficult, the unexpected, and use it to make myself stronger and better. You've been a friend for a long time, and that has meant a lot to me." Seth stopped and gave an embarrassed shrug. "That's all true, but it wasn't anything of what I really planned to say today-guess everyone else rubbed off on me. Okay, going with the plan now. There's a lot a guy could say when his in-laws hit a milestone anniversary, but I won't, because I love you both. Almost a shame, because there's so many stories I could share..." he trailed off dramatically, as those involved in some of the stories laughed. "However, I think I'll let the kids come up with their own trouble-no need to give them any ideas. And, Bella, thanks for sharing Charlie with Leah and me. A lot of people might not have been okay with their dad taking on a couple extra kids, but you were-and that was before Charlie made an honest woman out of her." Sue tried to glare at him, and Charlie raised his beer can in a mock threat.

"Actually, I think I should thank you on that part, Seth," I interrupted. "He finally got a kid who was into fishing and sports and all that stuff."

Seth just grinned and kept going like I hadn't cut in. "And to both of you, well, thanks a bunch for not killing me when I realized that how I felt about Audrey was changing."

"Thought about it," Jared replied laconically.

"I bet." As with many of the comments so far, there were layers to what was being said that not everyone in the audience was picking up on. "I wouldn't have blamed you for not liking it, but you let us figure out how we felt and what we wanted. I know you've both felt really lucky with the in-laws you got, and I feel the same way, too."

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Jared POV

"You're welcome. No dad ever wants to let his baby girl go, and with her being our first...well, if it had to be someone then I'm glad it was someone like you. Just follow my example in this like you have in other stuff and we'll be just fine."

As those in the know had expected, it had raised more than a few eyebrows when Seth and Audrey had started dating after she graduated from high school-he'd been 33 to her 18, after all. But he'd gone above and beyond in proving his honesty and sincerity—and being a tribal elder's son hadn't hurt either. We'd laid down the law about our kids and their educations, and Seth had used Audrey's four years at the University of Washington getting her teaching degree to earn a law degree of his own. They'd both been happy to spend that time together, the dad in me less so. But they'd played by the rules better than Bella and I had—at least I hoped they had—and the tribe was even benefiting from Seth's specialization in tribal law. Her graduation party two years ago had culminated with a down-on-one-knee proposal and a wedding a week after she'd finished her first year of teaching preschool at the La Push school.

"He does a very good job, dad," Audrey assured me. "I love and respect Uncle Sam a lot, but I'm going to have to disagree with what he said about your parenting skills. Because I happen to think that you and mom have done a great job with me, and with Tom, Jon, and Darcy too." She offered Sam the trademark smirk she'd inherited from me, and he returned it with a mock scowl and a smile of his own. Turning back to Bella and me, "Dad, you've always been there for me. From learning to walk, to tips on how to be the oldest child, to boys…I always knew I could come to you and have you listen, not judge, and help me. Mom, thanks for being my mom as well as my friend. Thanks for turning me into as much of a bookworm as you, for listening to me vent about my brothers and sister, for translating dad's advice about boys, for all those cooking lessons—"

"Hear, hear," Seth chimed in.

"—and for everything," she continued. "You both have been great parents to have, and I only hope that Seth and I can do half as good a job as you have."

The radiant glow that enveloped her and the blazing gleam in Seth's eyes as he gazed down at her…and we all knew. Like a shot, Bella ran from my side to wrap her arms around our daughter as I tried to absorb this announcement. "Oh, baby! When?" Bella cried.

"February," Audrey was as incandescent as she'd been on her own wedding day. "We just found out. I told myself I wasn't going to say anything today—this is your day—but I just couldn't keep it in."

"This was the perfect way," Bella laughed.

"A baby." I'd finally gotten my feet to start moving and tugged her out of Bella's arms and into my own. Finally letting her go, just a little, I looked down at my grown up baby girl. "Well, this is quite an anniversary present, tsida-wihl. Congratulations. Wow, I'm gonna be a grandpa."

"Yeah," Audrey agreed with a light laugh. "But I won't be 'little' for too long."

"Guess I shouldn't use that term then, should I? Audrey, you _are_ going to do great," I assured her. "You're just like your mom that way." As much as I wanted to keep holding her close, I knew I needed to let others have a turn. I backed away and she was instantly surrounded by her aunt, cousins, and everyone. Everyone was thrilled, Claire most of all it seemed. She and Quil had a son just out of the terrible two's—and fortunately _not_ named after the last five generations, and she was already pregnant again.

"We _were_ planning on telling you later," Seth assured me.

"This was good. You ready for this?"

"Were you?" he countered.

"Hell, no. But it's not like you can do anything other than get ready somehow."

"Could you…?"

"Tell you everything I know? Sure. That's my girl over there."

"Did it change for you, when Bella was pregnant?"

"Yeah, some. It just made everything deeper, more intense. Different." It had been a unique experience for me than it had been for any of the others, as I'd still been a wolf during most of Bella's first pregnancy, where everyone else had stopped phasing before their wives had conceived. But the imprint bonds still gave us more than most regular guys got at times like this. "First piece of advice: follow all rules to the letter, and be prepared for them to change with no notice whatsoever."

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In homage to a tradition that stretched back to our very wedding day, we joined the rest of the tribe for the 4th of July fireworks after the anniversary cookout. Even though I hadn't known about the planned surprise party—_well, duh, it was a surprise_—I had arranged to take Bella down to the Kalaloch Lodge for this anniversary, just like I had for our honeymoon and our first anniversary.

"Eep!" Bella squealed when I swept her off her feet and carried her into the bedroom. "Jared!"

"What? Just because I've got a grandkid on the way doesn't mean I've lost all my moves."

"Just so long as you don't move your way into a back brace or something like that," she shifted sinuously against me. "I've got plans for you, and playing nurse for real isn't included. And for the record, you are one sexy grandpa."

"Damn right I am, grandma." And I proved it. We might not be twenty, or thirty, or even forty anymore, but we still had that incredible spark that had brought us four children and any number of memories that I was glad a pack mind would no longer pilfer.

"Do we have to go back?" Bella whined as we packed up at the end of the weekend.

"I'd happily stay shut up with you for the rest of our lives, but we do have an expectant daughter, twin trouble-making sons, and a daughter about to start her senior year in high school. Doesn't look like we can cut out just yet."

"Well, when you put it that way…"

As she turned away…"Oh, what the hell. We've got till eleven."

"Eep!"

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Bella POV

We ended up checking out right on the dot.

"How are you feeling about their announcement?" I asked Jared as he headed the car back north.

"What do you mean? You don't think I'm going to pull a George Banks, do you?"

"I certainly hope not. I'm no Nina Banks—there is no interest here in a pregnancy contest with my own daughter. She'll get the shared experience with Claire, and that's just how it should be. I'd rather play grandma. Grandma. I wonder if this is how Laura and Renee felt."

"Maybe. I told Seth I'd give him advice, but I think I'm going to be seeking it out myself. How does time fly so fast? Our baby girl is going to have one of her own."

I reached across the center console to take the hand he lifted off the steering wheel. "You mom asked me that right after Audrey was born, wondering how _you'd _grown up so quickly. That's the way time works, I suppose: it flies faster than we expect it to. But you know, they could just as easily have a boy as a girl."

Less than an hour later we pulled into the driveway. Although moving had been a little hard, we'd realized the apartment was going to work anymore once Audrey hit her toddler years. We'd been lucky to find a small starter house in La Push to move into before she started preschool—good thing, as the twins had come along then. Speaking of them…

"Where are they?" I asked Jared, when we got inside and found that it was empty.

"The boys are probably with Levi, Sam Jr., and Caleb. Darcy's probably with her girlfriends," he reasoned. "Gives us a chance to settle in before we get invaded by hungry kids."

I knew he was right, but I decided not to head into the kitchen. Let the kids scrounge for their own snacks this time around. The anniversary party had gotten me thinking, and I pulled photo albums off the living room shelf.

"Trip down memory lane?" My husband must have just dumped the luggage in our bedroom.

"That's right." I laughed, "Do you remember that one?" I pointed to one of the pictures.

"Hell, yeah. You seem to equate Florida with driving me crazy via bikinis."

"Mom and Phil wanted to show off Audrey to their friends." This had been true enough, though it didn't negate the accuracy of Jared's observation. I, for my part, viewed it as just keeping my post-deliver promise to get back in shape.

"And you wanted to drive me crazy," he repeated, demonstrating that two could still play at that game.

"D-don't start something we can't finish here and now," I managed.

Jared just smirked and settled beside me to look through the albums. We paused on a page showing Audrey's first day of preschool. She looked excited and I looked fat. Thinking back, I recalled that I'd been about six months into my second pregnancy right then.

"You looked incredible. I've always thought you were sexy all the time, but there was always something about watching your belly get all round with my baby inside you, or _babies_ that time."

"Guy thing or wolf thing?"

Jared considered it. "Both, I think. Is it an instinctive ego boost? Sure. But it's also watching our woman do something that we never could. We might have been powerful vamp-killing wolves, but you girls went through months of pregnancy and hours of labor—that was just awesome."

"We've done good, haven't we?"

"Absolutely. I love you so much, Bella. I always have and I always will. Thank you for being with me all this time, for being my strength and support, for bearing my children."

"And I love you. You are so much more than I could have ever thought to want, but everything I didn't realize I needed. The last 25 years have been so wonderful, and better every day."

Jared briefly went into the kitchen, returning with two glasses of wine. "To 25 wonderful years—and to another 25 and more."

I clinked my glass against his. "To the rest of our lives together."

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AN: I know that this epilogue may not have been exactly what you expected, but then it surprised me, too. I had a plan in mind ages ago for something I wanted in a wrap-up chapter, but when I sat down to actually write it, it just wouldn't come out like I'd thought it would so I ended up jettisoning everything I'd previously planned. It took some time to get my new inspiration down, and I admit to getting distracted with some fic reading of my own (fun) and schoolwork (not as fun).

Before anyone gets too upset about not seeing Seth and Audrey's relationship unfold, or watching the other wolves/imprints have kids, I will say that I am now considering a semi-sequel to this story (which won't be done immediately, though) that would answer at least some of that. It would likely be more episodic than this one (possibly a chapter or so for each year until she grows up) and definitely wouldn't be as long as this story. It's not for-sure that I'll be doing it, but I'm leaning that way. Some of what I discarded from this epilogue may find its way into that story.

I do plan on working on one of my teaser stories first, though. And to satisfy your curiosity, I will now say that I plan to write "Jagged Edges Heal" (my Bella/Embry) story next. I've got quite a few ideas sketched out so far, and I think it will be easier for me to start writing this one than the Sam/Bella story; I will still do Sam/Bella, just a bit later on. My intent with this next story is to get the plot more solidly sketched out and the first couple chapters written before I start posting anything. If you're interested in following this new story, make sure I'm on your Author Alert if you haven't done it already, and you'll get the word when it goes up.

Again, thank you SO, SO much to every single person who has put me on favorite or alert for "The Wolf and His Girl" or taken the time to submit reviews (whether 1 review or 79/80). Each and every one of you is amazing. MC: there is no way I could have done this so well or so fast without your incredible researching efforts and willingness to let me bounce ideas off you or offer suggestions for me to consider; you helped make this story so much better. Thanks a bunch. And to anyone else who offered comments, critiques, or ideas: thank you as well.

Also, I'm looking to post a slightly different version of this story on the Twilighted site. My intent with this story was to keep all the "action" at a "T" rating so that as many people as possible could find and enjoy it. But there were some chapters that could have been a little more intense in the descriptions. Since it's not permitted to post multiple versions of a story here on this site, I plan to start posting a slightly more mature version of "The Wolf and His Girl" on the other site. Most of the story will be the same, I'll just be taking the opportunity to add a few minor details, correct some typos, and do a timeline correction in chapters 22 and 23. The rest of the changes will be adding a little oomph to Bella and Jared's "couple time". Since I may need to revise the first chapter of the story before submitting to that site, I will try to add a quick note here when the story is ready to go over there. Or you can just check me out on that site. I have the same username as I do here. As an FYI, some stories there do require registration in order for people to access them; not all stories do, though, but right now I don't know which way it will go for "Wolf" over there.


	81. Author Note

Author Note:

Just wanted to let you know to know about other places where you can read a revised/enhanced version of the story.

I'm still waiting for approval from the Twilighted site to begin posting there. When the story goes up, updates will be weekly, which is as fast as they permit. I'm still not sure if registration will be required in order to view the story.

I've also signed up on the JacobBlack-n-pack(dot)ning(dot)com site; I have the same username and the story title is also the same. The first three chapters are up as of November 11, 2011. The first two just have minor differences from the chapters on this site, but there was more done to part of chapter three. Readers should be aware that this site requires registration, and is restricted to users 18 years of age and older.

Again, thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed this story, and who have put me on alert for my next story. I will start posting that as soon as I have a couple chapters written and polished.


	82. Final Comments

Apologies in advance for this apparent fake-out. But it's the only way I could think of to reply to some recent unregistered reviews.

But, to hopefully make up for it…

An enhanced version of this story (without the "fade to black moments") was completed on the Jacob Black N Pack site in late 2011.

A further refined version is in progress on the Twilighted site. As of July 2012, it is posted up through chapter 32. I will get this one completed eventually, but the speed will depend on my Twilighted beta (who just had a baby and consequently has new time commitments).

Yet another (the absolutely final) version is going up on the Tricky Raven site. As today (July 11, 2012), that is posted through chapter 35. As an added bonus, I've inserted pictures into the chapters to give some visual reference. The pictures come from a vacation I was lucky enough to be able to take up to the Pacific Northwest.

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On to the review replies:

Guest: Thank you very much! I tried to write the kind of story that I like to read, and I think I succeeded. I'm so glad that you were referred to this story, and incredibly honored that you use it as a measure when reading other stories.

SamSam: Thank you very much. I am still working on "Jagged Edges Heal". I've got a few plot tangles to work out before I can get the next chapter written and posted. But it will go up the moment it's finished. Blatant/prolific grammatical errors are a huge pet peeve of mine, so I tried to catch as many as possible, but I know that a few did slip through. I will admit that the notion of trying my own original work has occurred to me, so if I get a good idea…

Mikaela Rosario: I'm never offended when someone takes the time to send a review, much less so many enthusiastic reviews. I'm glad you decided to give this story/pairing a try, even though it isn't a common one. The pregnancy was always in the plan. Joshua being Embry's father was who seemed logical to me (and was the top vote-getter in the reader poll I did). I hope you were able to continue breathing as you read through the rest of the story. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you find it so gripping, I just don't want you to pass out because of it. Regarding your comments on Edward (#60), I've never claimed he was all that life-smart. Hard to know if he was being serious about threatening Savannah, or just hoping for suicide-by-wolf, or who knows what else. Clearly he was having a hard time facing the reality that Bella did just what he told her to do, in making a life and future with Jared (be careful what you wish for, right?). The argument may have been inevitable. I mean, what relationship is ever completely smooth sailing? And after months of peace, to be pulled back to a potential threat...? As my author notes may have said, the Seth/Audrey imprint was intended back from the beginning, when I first decided on a pregnancy for Bella.

Guest: (#7): Emily would know all about imprinting and the potential problems. A good person to start going over stuff with a newbie.

Koolo: Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed.

To all readers (including most recently Guest) who commented on the epidural Bella had: I did some book and online research when originally writing this, and my premise is that Bella got what is called a Walking Epidural. This is different from a conventional epidural (where walking isn't possible)-and I did make that change shortly after the chapter posted when it was first brought to my attention. With a walking epidural, a woman is able to get out of bed and move around some, hospital policy permitting and she feels up to it (and if she's got a hunky werewolf hubby to help her out). So the labor chapters are quite plausible according to what I found, as I'm going with the premise that Bella's blood pressure remained okay and her legs weren't too numb. (I re-verified this 7/18/12 by Googling the topic and looking at .com, , , and .)


	83. Nomination

December 6, 2012

So thrilled to learn that "The Wolf and His Girl" has been nominated in the first Fandom Choice Awards. TWAHG is up in two categories:

Best Romance

Best NonCanon Pairing (not Bella/Jacob)

So excited. Thanks to whomever nominated this story. TWAHG is up against some amazing stories, so just being nominated is a thrill.

If you'd like to vote for it, just go to fandomchoiceawards .com


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